The sorcerer's daughter
by Lorelei Candice Black
Summary: When Henry comes to get Emma, he shows her best friend, Bella, a book that stirs some long forgotten memories. At the end of the book, a small paragraph speak about Bella and her father but who is he and when will she find him? Pairings to be determined later. Will be presence of Hook, Graham, Neal, Gold, Belle, Robin (eventually), and so many others. Everything is possible!
1. Introduction

**Introduction:**

I have gone by many names through the years but the one most people remember is "The Sorcerer" although "Merlin" is also a pretty popular one in most lands. These are the names that some fear, most admire or dream about, these are the names that made my legend over the centuries.

I never thought that someone as old or as powerful as I am would ever find himself at a crossroad where the choices to make were to keep the woman I truly love or the daughter I love and have desired for a very long time.

My daughter is my sun, my joy, my life… I've craved for a child to love and spoil my entire life, even before I met Nimue, and now, no matter what I do, I won't be able to see her grow up.

When I fell in love with her mother, I truly believed that I'd be able to bring her back to the good side, to take the darkness out of her heart and change her, but I failed. I know that she loves me in her own way, and her love might even have been true, but she loves her power more and when she learned that our daughter would be powerful and special, she decided that she'd use her heart in a ritual to get more power for herself. She needed that power to destroy one of her enemies and I wish I had been able to change her mind.

It broke my heart but I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't allow her to kill our daughter for something so selfish, or anything really. I just couldn't let her kill our daughter.

I loved her despite her dark heart and I didn't know what to do. Even though I created my magical hat for people just like her, knowing what awaited people inside it, I couldn't bring myself to suck her in it. I still loved her and I couldn't handle the thought that she wouldn't be alive anymore so I did the next best thing: I erased myself, our love and our daughter from her memory. I erased everything she had learned from me and created fake memories before I banished her to another realm, the one I had met her in when we first fell in love.

Before I did that, I tried simply erasing her hatred for her enemy but I failed. That hatred was simply stronger than the love she had for me and for her own daughter. I know that she loved our Bella, I saw her look when she gave birth and saw her for the first time. She loved us, but she hated her enemy more. Emotions are powerful feelings and it just happens that this time, Love wasn't stronger than hate. Maybe someday it'll change and she'll be ready to change, but not now. Not yet.

Without that hatred, she wouldn't have gone after our daughter's powerful heart, I could have solved it all a long time ago by allowing my love to suck her enemy in my hat but I was determined to keep the hat for people who couldn't possibly be redeemed and there was still a chance for that person's redemption, even today. If I started using this hat and its power for my personal ease, then what would differentiate me from the villains I tried to stop?

Our daughter was 2 days old when I forced her mother to leave and I was sure that after that, I'd be happy with my baby girl for the rest of our lives but then I was hit by a vision of the future, one that changed everything and darkened the bright future I had hoped for.

There are many different creatures in all the realms and among them, only one of them is immune to my power and my hat: Vampires, Cold One vampires.

Their tick marble skin makes them immune to my magic and their bloodlust makes them more dangerous than any other creatures. I once saw a Cold One Vampire destroy a group of 5 Bridge Trolls on his own, in less than 10 minutes and my hat was powerless against them.

Of course they'd be the ones to plan an attack against my little girl. They'd want her power, her blood, and would kill her for it because her blood would make anyone of their race who drank it much stronger, more powerful.

I studied every possible course of action for 3 whole days before I came to the realization that the only way to keep her safe from them was for her to grow up without me, away from me.

She couldn't know who I was, who she was. She couldn't know of the love I had for her. I didn't want her to be alone so I used my powers to locate someone she'd be close to, someone that would be her friend, almost like a sister to her.

I knew this magic would have a price but I was willing to pay it. I refused to see my daughter grow up alone and unloved and I refused to allow her to be in danger simply because she'd have inherited my enemies.

My magic guided me to another little girl, born on the same day as my Bella, sent away in the realm without magic by her parents to escape the Evil Queen's dark curse only minutes after her birth. Little Emma and my Bella were kindred spirits, written in the stars, destined to be friends, no matter what.

I cast a small spell to make sure they'd stay close to each other and that they'd always know how to find one another.

I couldn't leave anything to chance in this world where magic was so rare and difficult to create but in a way, I was glad that this was the place where baby Emma was sent to. A world with the technology to create fire and kill Cold Ones, even if they didn't know about them, would be one of the safest for my baby girl.

Bella would help Emma believe and together, they'd be even stronger. They'd be capable of holding their own against the Dark One if they'd wished or needed it. Maybe even to stop him if necessary.

Right after I found little Emma, my magic located another little girl, born a couple of months earlier, that could be close to Bella and Emma. Her name was Lilly and she had an interesting star shaped birthmark on the wrist. I could have added her to the spell to keep her close to the girls but it would have taken more time and she wasn't as perfect as Emma for my Bella, she was weaker and I saw that she would lie to them and betray their trust at some point because of the darkness she had inherited from her mother. Her heart held a very big potential for darkness, I couldn't risk them being touched by it. She would find them at some point in their lives and have a chance at joining them, but I wouldn't help her. I didn't have time for that and she wasn't my concern.

Lilly had been lucky when she found a family that wanted her. I hope that one day we'll find a way to reunite her with her mother but for now, I couldn't take care of her too. The Author was punished for what he forced my Apprentice to do to her, that's all I can give her right now. I had to watch out for my daughter, keep an eye out on the Cold Ones. Even if what happened to her was partially my fault for not stopping the Author sooner, I couldn't take responsibility for her fate as well, not now, not when I had so many other things to take care of.

Unfortunately, strong magic always comes with a price, even for me and the price of my daughter's safety was that the only way for me to have my daughter again, would be for someone close to her to look for me, find me. She wouldn't be able to find me herself, even if I was to stand right in front of her. I wouldn't be able to see her and she wouldn't be able to see me while other people would see us. Someone else she knew had to find me first and introduce us, knowing I was her father. The limits of my magic prevented me from seeing who would do it but I was confident that it would happen.

The good thing was that I'd be able to watch out for her and what happened in her life but I wouldn't be able to reach out, I wouldn't be able to give her obvious clues.

The only loophole I could find was that I would be able to guide the Truest Believer and help him make the Savior believe because it had nothing to do with me or my daughter and everything to do with the Dark Curse. I decided to do so in the form of a Storybook capable of helping people believe, one that told the story of the people the Evil Queen touched with her dark spell. To do that, I asked my apprentice to send me the Quill he confiscated from the current Author before imprisoning him in the Book.

Once I received the quill, all I had to do was write the book, tell the stories the Author should have told and, at the end of the book, I added a special little paragraph that would guide the Truest believer to me, if he read carefully and believed hard enough. He would be the one reuniting me with my daughter, I knew it, I had faith.

It might take 30 years before someone tries to look for me but I don't care. I know it will happen eventually and when it does, I'll finally have my daughter with me and be able to hold her. I know that her smile will be enough to make up for our lost years. It's not like I can grow old anyway. I've been thirty for over a thousand years, I'll still be thirty when I find her.

I live in a large house, a mansion really, that's located between worlds. Because of my last fight with Nimue, I'm banned from leaving this house in certain realms. I can't go to Camelot (or the Enchanted Forest, their lands in the same realms) again before someone powerful enough, the Savior or my daughter, opens the door for me. The house has a solid place in every realm and a door to allow me to get there. I already have my mansion hidden in Storybrook but the curse that prevents me from reaching Camelot extended to Storybrook when the curse took people from the Enchanted Forest here. It linked the two places. I'll be locked in my private quarters in there until she frees me and she'll only be able to do it from Camelot, once she finds my door, which was hidden in the form of a tree by the first Dark One. Thankfully, I'm still able to reach my faithful apprentice. He'll put them on the right path for me.

Of course, it's invisible for now, they'll be able to see it once the magic is brought back but I have faith. Everything happens in due time, I just have to be patient. Even if I can't see everything, I can see enough and my faith does the rest. Everything is possible as long as we believe in people.

Still, it's not easy…

I'm able to reach into any realm I please from Oz to Wonderland, including Neverland or Narnia and have all the power a man with white magic could dream of. I managed to keep a pretty pure heart while collecting powers and have lived a very long life. I've drunk from the Holy Grail and have gained life magic from it. I've created entire realms, saved plants and animals from extinction… Yet I feel imprisoned and weak anywhere I go because I don't have my little girl in my arms.

I've wanted a child for so long… A long time ago I thought that I'd have her with Nimue and when she became the first Dark One, I figured I'd never love again or have children…

All that's left for me is to be patient and to keep on believing that good always wins, no matter how hard it is.

If I lose my faith, I'll lose everything so I'll just have to hold on. I will see my daughter again, we will be reunited. I'm sure of it because she is my happy ending and after all the good I've done in my life, I know that I deserve it.

So here I am now, watching from another realm as strangers take my little Bella and take care of her until someone adopts her, which I saw would never happen.

I already know who will take her in, I've seen it.

Emma was taken in by Billy Swan and his wife. My Bella will be taken in by Charlie and Renee Swan, Billy's brother. It won't last. The parents will give up on them and on the adoption in a few years, once they have their own children but it will set the course of the future for Bella and Emma. They'll be in and out of each other's lives until they become adults. I know that life won't be easy for either of them but as long as they stick together, they'll go through everything. They'll survive and grow stronger each time.

It doesn't matter if I'm alone, my daughter won't be. She'll be happy, and we will be reunited… eventually.

* * *

 _ **So, what did you think of the first chapter of this rewrite? Not much have changed so far just details.**_

 _ **I'm already working on chapter 15, so rewritting was a good idea but some chapters are still longer to write.**_

 _ **In the future, the Sorcerer's thoughts will in in italic.**_

 _ **Review please, let me know what you think and what you'd like to see happening, who knows, maybe I'll make it happen.**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 2:**

For as long as she could remember, Bella had had Emma in her life. They hadn't always been in the same group homes or Foster houses but they always seemed to cross each other and they went to the same schools. They had been friends from the beginning and their friendship had only grown since that day, which is why, now that they were about the turn 28 together (they had the same birthday), they lived together in the same small apartment, in Boston. They were each other's family and would stay that way forever, even if they ended up finding their own families (or created them).

They had moved in together for good when Emma got out of jail in Phoenix and had stayed together ever since.

"Something smells good." Emma complimented shortly after closing the front door.

"It better, I spent all afternoon baking this cake." Bella smiled.

"If it tastes as good as it smells, it'll be delicious. I think I gained a few pounds just smelling it." Emma assured her.

"Well, it won't harm you to gain a few pounds, you could use them." Bella chuckled before she added:

"Did you get your guy?"

"Don't I always?" Emma asked and Bella chuckled.

"Then it's a double celebration. Our birthday, and you catching a bad guy." Bella smiled.

"If that's the case, you should bake me a cake every day!" Emma teased Bella.

"True." She replied in a giggle.

"He wasn't only a bad guy though, he was also a jerk. I broke his nose before I left." Emma shook her head as she helped herself to a glass of white wine.

"Well, nobody ever said that you had to return them in perfect condition. I'm sure his ex wife would have loved to break his nose as well." Bella chuckled.

"True."

Bella then light the candles on the cake.

"Together?" She asked her blond friend.

"As always." Emma smiled and nodded.

With her eyes closed, Emma wished for what she always wished: to have her family back, to know who they were, why they had given her up, if they loved her at all.

Bella also had her eyes closed and she wished for the same things she always did as well: to find happiness, she didn't care if it came from finding her family or love, all she wanted was to be happy, finally.

They opened their eyes at the same time and just when they blew on the candles, someone rang on the doorbell.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Emma asked Bella who shook her head.

"Maybe it's one of our wishes coming true, unless you've order a couple of male strippers for our birthday I wouldn't complain by the way." Bella suggested, getting an eye roll from her friend.

"Yeah, right. Strippers is exactly what we need right now." Emma chuckled.

"Wouldn't hurt." Bella replied with an amused smile.

Since she was the one sitting the closest to the door, Emma stood up and went to open it, hoping whoever was at the door would leave quickly so that she could sit down and enjoy her piece of cake and glass of wine in front of a movie, with Bella.

"Are you selling cookies or something?" Bella heard Emma ask and she decided to join her, her wallet at the ready.

She always bought cookies or candy from boy or girl scouts.

"Are you Emma Swan?" The little boy asked.

"Yes. Who are you, kid?" Emma asked him.

"My name is Henry. I'm your son." He declared.

"What?" Emma exclaimed as the boy pushed his way into the apartment.

"I thought you asked for a close adoption?" Bella asked Emma in a whispered voice.

Emma nodded and, much paler than before, went in to bathroom and locked herself in.

"So, who are you?" Henry asked Bella.

"My name is Bella. I'm Emma's best friend. We were almost cousins once but they ended up having their own children and gave us back…" She replied, not really sure why she had told the last part to the kid.

"Were you always friends?" Henry asked her curiously.

"More or less… I mean, we weren't always together as children, sometimes we'd be in different families or group homes but we stayed in touch and went to the same schools most of the time. Anyway, as far as I remembered, she was my best friend." Bella explained while cutting a piece of cake and giving it to the little boy with a glass of orange juice.

"So, what are you doing here, kid?" Emma asked Henry as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"I came to bring you back home with me." Henry declared.

"You're kidding me, right? You have a home, you were adopted." Emma shook her head.

"The town I live in, Storybrook, is placed under a curse and you're the only one who can break it because you're the Savior. Your parents are there too. They gave you up to save you, to give you your best chance." Henry explained quickly and very seriously.

"This can't be happening right now… Curses? Really? What's your number kid? I'll call your parents right away and have them pick you up." Emma replied.

"I don't have parents, just my mom and she's the Evil Queen. She's the witch who cursed the town. She doesn't really love me, she just wants power." He argued.

"Life isn't a fairy tale, kid. Evil witches don't exist." Emma shook her head, the phone in her hand.

At that moment, Emma fought to keep away a memory she had tried to forget for so long, one of a woman who wanted to adopt her and had turned out to be a crazy woman who believed in magic. As hard as she tried to forget about it and never to think of it again, Emma couldn't prevent it from coming back in mind at that moment and one look at Bella informed her that her best friend thought of the same event. Emma had told it to her so often, Bella knew it almost as though she had been there herself.

"You could always call the cops Emma. If he doesn't want you to call his adoptive mother, you could call the cops." Bella suggested, knowing it would change Henry's mind.

"I'd simply say she kidnapped me." Henry lied.

"And they'd believe you because I'm your birth mother. But you forget one thing, kid: I have a superpower. I can tell when someone is lying to me, and you, are lying." Emma smirked.

"Please… Just come with me… Once you're there you'll see that I'm saying the truth…" Henry pleaded.

"About the curse?" Emma asked doubtfully.

"Yes… Please, you have to believe me!" Henry pleaded.

"It's not that far Emma, you could always drive him back. Once there, you'll use your magic power to see if his adoptive mother really loves him and is really evil or not." Bella suggested to Emma while Henry nodded eagerly.

"Bella… I know that you're a writer and that you love fairy-tales but you can't possibly believe this, can you?" Emma asked Bella after pulling her to the side.

"Of course not. I wish it could be possible and that magic really existed, that would be pretty cool, but I doubt something like this could ever happen." Bella shook her head.

"Why do you want me to drive him back then? You don't understand… It's hard for me to see him… He reminds me so much of Neal. Giving him away was hard enough in the first place." Emma shook her head, obviously, it was hard for her to speak about Neal and to think of him.

She had never really forgotten him and still loved him deep down.

"Emma, even if this curse story is impossible, the fact that he looked for you and invented this story to get you back into his life is the proof that he's unhappy with the life he has… Maybe his adoptive mother isn't an evil witch, but she could be mean or hurt him. If he's asking for your help, it's because he needs you, whatever the reason." Bella argued.

"I… Are you coming with me?" Emma asked her friend, knowing that arguing was futile.

"I can't, I'm sorry. I've got an appointment tomorrow morning with my editor about my next book. I can't miss it." She shook her head.

"I'm afraid. Everything is going to change now." Emma admitted.

"I know, but I'm sure that you can do it. And if you decide to stay behind for a few days, just call me and I'll send you whatever you need until I can join you." Bella told Emma who nodded and, once Henry finished his piece of cake, directed him to her car to drive him back to his house.

. **_The sorcerer's thoughts_**.

 _Finally, it's happening._

 _The past 28 years have been torture, watching her life without being able to reach over and help her... I can't count the number of times I wished I could reach through my mirror and give her a hug or a kiss on the forehead._

 _I found solace in the fact that the few times Cold Ones vampires managed to find her, I was able to attack them and burn the most dangerous ones before they found her or hurt her. If magical fire can't touch them, they were the ones stupid enough to hide in a world where they have technology to create fire and throw it at things. Of course, when my apprentice and I were done with them, they were all still alive, I don't have the power to kill them, but they were hurt enough that they'd stay away from her for a while..._

 _Now that the little boy, Henry, found my book, believed and went to get his real mother, I'm that much closer to being reunited with my Bella. I can only hope that everything goes fine for her and that she doesn't end up getting hurt._

 _She'll have Regina and the Dark One to face, among others..._

 _Hopefully she won't have to face her mother before we're reunited, I don't think I could handle watching such a fight. I also hope that she doesn't catch the attention of the Blue fairy, she's one of the rare subject in which the current Dark One and I agree. Most people think her to have a pure heart and to be a definite hero but I know the truth. I know that her heart has darkness in its center and if she's good at telling people how to act, she's not always good at following her own advises... Do as I say, not as I act: That's her motto. If she knew who Bella was, that she was my daughter, she'd try to stop her, to get her away, maybe even to hurt her just to get to me._

 _As I watched my daughter go to bed, I went back to my writing table and, taking a blank book with the same design as Henry's Storybook that I took from the Author's library for my project, I started writing a guide to help Bella and Emma learn about their powers and how to handle them. They had powerful white magic, born from the strongest of love for Emma and strong magic for Bella. They'd need guidance and neither Regina nor Rumpelstiltskin would be able to give them that. They didn't understand white magic and pure heart for neither of them had them. Of course one of the fairies, like Blue, would be able to help them to an extend but I didn't trust her for this._

 _The price of magic that prevented me from contacting my daughter would allow this because it wasn't to reunite me with my daughter, it would help the savior survive and break the curse. I'm sure I'll have finished writing it once Emma manage to break the curse and everything will be fine for them. I'll find a way to get it to them. I'll be able to use my faithful Apprentice, who now lives in Storybrook, and he'll give it to them anonymously for me._

 _Once the curse is broken, my Apprentice will once more be my strongest ally and before that, he'll be my spy. I'll have to be careful though, he can't catch the attention of Regina, she doesn't know who he is and she can't find out that he was never cursed._

.

Bella didn't wait for Emma's return before going to bed that evening. She knew that her friend and roommate could come back late and she couldn't stay up that long. Besides, Emma could decide to stay there for the night, which Bella hoped.

That night, Bella had a dream she often had ever since she was a little girl. It felt like a memory trying to come to the surface yet what happened was so strange and impossible that it had to be the product of her fruitful imagination.

It started by Bella being laid down on a very soft and lavender smelling cushion.

For some reason, she can't stand up, speak or move around. Then, a cruel feminine laughter, resonating around her, makes her cry in fright while a deep, reassuring voice tries to calm her down as he's reasoning with the cruel voice that wants to hurt her. She doesn't see the faces that go with the voices, but she knows that they're familiar to her. Then, a ray of pure white light hits a dark green one just above her and sparks form a dome above her. She finds the lights pretty and stops crying, knowing that the deep voice will protect her. After that, she sees some sort of pointy and shiny hat, the man wants to use it against the woman but changes his mind. He's pleading but Bella can't recognize the words he uses. The woman doesn't listen to him, she's not being reasonable and so the man sends her away.

That's usually when Bella wakes up but sometimes, it goes a bit longer and the man takes her in his arms and even if she can't see his face, she knows that she's where she should be, that she's home and safe and when she wakes up from these dreams, Bella's left wanting to be in those arms again, wishing he was her father and that she had the power to make him real. To take him out of her dreams and keep him close to her in reality.

As a little girl, Bella imagined that the deep voice belonged to her father and that the cruel laughter woman was her mother but she was now a grown woman. It was probably just her imagination creating things in her head.

Maybe it was because of what Henry said about his town being cursed but that night, it felt like every dream Bella ever had in her life about fairy tales and magic came back at once, all together, to haunt her, trying to fit in together in weird ways.

When morning came, it took Bella three coffees and a cold shower to feel awake and to be able to forget about her foolish dreams. It was quickly replaced by worry when she realized that not only Emma hadn't come home, but that she hadn't called.

She calmed down a bit when Emma called her, around 9, to tell her that she had crashed into the town's sign and that since Henry had run away again, she'd help find him and come back that evening. Reassured on her friend's whereabouts, Bella went on with her day.

She wasn't a very famous author but she managed to pay the bills with her books and she had a solid fan base all over the country, some even around the world. Her books were romanced historical novels filled with magic, sex, war and love. Good always won and she had published 3 of them already and was working on the fourth one.

"Hey Emma, so, should I wait for you for dinner or not?" Bella asked her friend when the phone rang the next evening.

Emma had called the previous night to tell her she'd stay in town for the night because it was getting late.

Bella had been waiting for her friend to find an excuse to stay longer and was glad to see that she was right.

"No, I think I'll stay here for about a week. There's definitely something weird about that woman. I don't like her and her constant insistence at getting me out of town pushes me to stay even more." Emma replied.

"Okay, I can't join you tomorrow but I'll be there in a couple of days with a bag. I'll send you a few clothes in the mail tomorrow though. Will you be okay until then?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry. I've been much longer with much less and I have the emergency overnight bag in the car."

"So, how's Henry?" Bella asked her.

"He's a nice kid… Hard to resist."

"You like him."

"I do. I'm afraid Bella, I'm growing so close to him so quickly… I don't want to lose him now. It would hurt too much." Emma told her.

"What makes you think you'll lose him?"

"It was a closed adoption and his mother, the town's mayor, isn't afraid to remind me of it. I can feel that she's not a nice woman and that she doesn't love him as much as she says she does but what if my judgment is being clouded by my emotions?"

"Emma, you've never let your emotions cloud your judgment, it's not going to happen now. Trust your instinct. Now, have you made friends already?"

"Well, I met this woman, Mary-Margaret. She's nice. She bailed me out when Regina had me arrested this afternoon. According to Henry she's my mother."

"Well, at least that's something." Bella chuckled.

"The sheriff isn't that bad. Kind of hot, in the mysterious kind of way but I think that the mayor is controlling him somehow. Maybe with blackmail or maybe he really wants to do everything she says but even if he's nice, he's under her control." Emma tried to explain.

"Well then, keep an eye on him."

"Oh, I will." Emma chuckled.

"What of the town? Do you like it?"

"Surprisingly, I do. It's the kind if place where even I would easily feel home. Except there isn't much work for a bails bond person there."

"Maybe you can be a sheriff's deputy…"

"That would entail me staying for longer than a week." Emma reminded her.

"Tell you what, I stay in Boston for the next 4 days and by then, you tell me if I come to bring you a few change of clothes or if I bring everything. Something tells me it's all you'll need to make a decision." Bella told her.

"You think so?" Emma asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"I do."

"Your magical instinct?"

"Yep. Now come on, tell me more about your hot sheriff." Bella asked.

"He's not MY sheriff." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Not yet." Bella replied with a chuckle.

* * *

 ** _I hope you liked it. not many changes in this one._**

 ** _Want an hint about the future of this story? Love will be found for Bella and Emma, it will also be lost, maybe for both, maybe for just one of them. I'm trying something different, something that's not always happy or fair. I hope it works for you guys._**

 ** _Review please?_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 3:**

In the middle of the afternoon of Emma's fourth day in Storybrook, she called Bella and told her that she was right, that she was going to stay in town longer, maybe even for good. She had accepted the job of Deputy that Sheriff Graham had offered her the previous day and so Bella promised to come as soon as possible with everything.

She could write her books from anywhere and after what Emma told her about the little town, she couldn't wait to see it. Maybe it would inspire her to make her series of book longer.

Packing wasn't very long because Emma and Bella didn't own much. A few boxes of clothes, shoes and accessories, some pictures… Bella sold everything else and once everything was in her car, which was thankfully bigger than Emma's bug, she went on the road and drove straight to Storybrook, following Emma's directions.

She found it quickly and parked in front of the building Emma was staying in with Mary-Margaret. It was late afternoon and both women were home, waiting for her. As she got out of her car and grabbed a bag, Bella couldn't help but feel like she was being watched but then again, in a town this small and isolated, it was usual, even in non cursed places.

Bella was quickly introduced to Emma's new friend and Mary-Margaret invited her to stay in the loft with them.

"Thank you, it's very nice but I think it'll be too small for three grown women. I'll stay at the Bed and Breakfast until I can find another place." Bella declined politely.

"Are you sure Bella?" Emma asked.

"I'm sure. Don't worry."

"But we've never lived apart from each other since we moved in together after… Phoenix." Emma reminded Bella.

"It's not like we'll be apart Emma. I'll be right down the street."

"I'm sure we can make room…" Mary-Margaret offered.

"It's nice of you to offer but after what Emma told me about the Bed and Breakfast, I think it will be good for my inspiration. I've got a good feeling about this." Bella smiled.

"At least stay here tonight. It's getting late." Mary-Margaret insisted and Bella nodded while she helped unload Emma's boxes out of the car and gave her friend her half of the money from the sale of their furniture.

.

The next morning, Bella went with Emma to get breakfast at Granny's dinner, where Henry was supposed to meet them before school.

Bella went to the counter and was about to ask the old woman if they had free rooms and if she could rent one but the woman opened wide eyes before she said anything.

"You're… you're Isabella Swan! You're here in my dinner and you're Isabella Swan! You're here!"

"I am… How do you know me?" Bella asked her, surprised.

She knew that word traveled fast in small towns but this fast? How could anyone know her name yet?

"I've read all of your books, I'm a big fan! I'm the widow Lucas but everyone calls me Granny. What can I do for you Miss Swan?" It was amusing for Bella to see such an old woman act like a fan girl but she hid her amusement.

"Please, call me Bella. I was wondering if I could rent one of your rooms. I think this place will inspire me for my next books." Bella felt flattered that someone here knew her books and her work.

"Of course, I'll bring you back your key right away. Half off on everything, room, food, drink… Anything you want is half off, for as long as you stay in town." The old woman told Bella.

"Thank you. What if I decide to move in town permanently?" Bella asked her with a smile.

"Then you'll have half price forever." Granny replied with a gentle smile, making Bella smile a thank you before she gave the woman her breakfast order.

Granny came back later with the women's order and the key to Bella's room. Bella paid for everything and they explained to Henry, who had just arrived, that Granny was, apparently, one of Bella's fans.

Henry seemed happy to see Bella in town and he was convinced that she would help him make Emma believe. He reminded Bella of one of the young heroes of her books.

"I have to go to school but here, take the book and read it. I'm sure you'll believe afterwards." Henry assured Bella, handing her a large book before running off to catch his bus.

Bella vaguely heard Emma telling her that she was going to work but she couldn't move. From the moment her eyes landed on the book, it was like they were glued to it. It was placed on the table and she felt the urge to touch it, to read it whole, to hold it for as long as possible.

As soon as she touched it, with the tip of her fingers at first and her whole hand soon after, it was like every dream she had ever made in her life, every fairy tales and every story suddenly made sense.

She couldn't explain it but as soon as she touched the book, she couldn't let go and she felt a rush of familiarity come through her, like she had seen it or had held it before. The faded memory of a long forgotten dream came back to the surface… It was the man with the deep voice, walking pass her with the large book in his reassuring hands.

Henry was right. Bella didn't need to open the book to know it. The curse was real and Emma really was living with her mother.

"Are you alright there?" A young woman with a name tag labeled as "Ruby" asked her with concern.

"Red." Bella replied when she looked at the woman in front of her.

"What? Are you alright?" Ruby asked her once more.

"Yes, thank you. Sorry, I can get lost in my head sometimes. Can I have another cup of coffee please?"

"Of course." Ruby smiled.

Bella opened the book and it fell in the middle, with a picture of Snow White and Prince Charming meeting for the first time. Curious, Bella turned to the last page and sure enough, a baby named Emma was drawn. She was about to turn it back to the first page to start reading the book when more printing, on the very last page, caught her attention.

It was a small paragraph, kind of like it was announcing another book from the same collection with the title and author not printed yet. She decided to read that part first.

 _"He didn't have a choice but to send his daughter away to safety so he made sure that she'd always be close to the savior, Emma, with whom she was always destined to be friends. Together, they'd be stronger and always able to help the other one stand back up after being knocked down._

 _The price of his baby girl's safety was high but she'd be safe and that was the most important to him. She'd have magic, powerful white magic like the Savior, to protect herself and would never be alone for too long because of their friendship that was written in the stars._

 _He could handle a little heartache, he could handle being deprived of his sun, of his joy, as long as he knew that she was safe because he knew that once the curse was broken, once she and the savior accepted their powers to the fullest, someone would look for him and reunite them. She wouldn't be able to look for him herself, no matter how hard she wanted to, but the Truest believer would and he'd hold his daughter in his arms again._

 _Before her 31st birthday, he'd hold his beloved daughter Bella in his arms again."_

Bella couldn't believe her eyes… There was no other name but her own at the end but did this mean that she had a father who loved her? Were her dreams real? Did he send her away to keep her safe from the woman with the cruel laughter? Was this woman Regina, the Evil Queen or someone else?

Fairy tales didn't lack in females villains from Regina to Maleficent, the blind witch, snow queens, red queens, Cruella or even Ursulla and so many others that she might not know yet.

Bella's head was filled with so many questions and theories, she took the book and, after settling in her room at the Bed and Breakfast, she started reading it, taking notes in an empty notebook as she did on different people, events and facts that she wanted to remember.

 ** _. The Sorcerer's thoughts_**.

 _All I have to do is look at my baby's face to know that the book worked on her and that she believes._

 _Good._

 _It will make everything that much easier on the Savior. The curse would be broken sooner and I'd be reunited with my daughter that much faster. Finally free, able to spend time with my daughter and guide Arthur on his right path to making Camelot the kingdom it's destined to be._

 _I was proud of Bella. She had become a writer and, having read her books, I couldn't help the pride that grew in me. She was talented and knew how to tell a tale that captivated the reader's attention until the very end. Her interest in books was what convinced me that a magical Storybook would help Henry keep hope and get him to find his mother._

 _Maybe she'd agree to take on the role of the next Author once we're reunited. It seems to be perfect for her. She'd be able to hold that role until Henry was old enough to take over._

 _I'm not sure how I feel about my daughter living alone at the Bed and Breakfast while Emma is with Snow White but she seems confident that she'll be happy. It's not like there's much I can do anyway._

 _As Bella sat down on her new bed and started reading the book, I held on to the one I was currently writing and closed my eyes, imagining me by her side, reading it to her._

 _One day..._

.

Regina wasn't a happy woman. Not only did Emma Swan stay in town and was slowly taking over Henry's affection but now she had brought someone else in town. How was she even able to enter the town when it was magically protected? She should have crashed at the limit, unable to go trough. The only possibility was that she was magical as well, that she was from a land with magic.

Was it possible that Snow and her love had had twins instead of one girl? They didn't look similar enough to be twins or blood sister, their only thing in common seemed to be their age and size... One was blond, the other one a brunette... While it was obvious to anyone who knew her parents that Emma looked like them, Bella had nothing in common with Snow and Charming.

Who else could she be? Pinocchio was missing in town, he had never been under the curse but he could simply be a puppet stuck at the bottom of a trunk and he was a boy anyway, so he wasn't Bella.

Thinking hard about any child missing in town when the curse was cast, Regina couldn't come up with anything.

Cinderella had been pregnant before the curse but she had given birth days after Emma got to town, so that child couldn't be Emma's friend.

Didn't Rumpelstiltskin have a child a long time ago? She didn't know much about that child except that the Dark One had created this curse to find it. She tried hard to remember if she knew the gender of his child and had the vague memory of hearing that it had been a boy. But if that was the truth, then who was Bella?

Who were her parents and how was she able to go in town?

"Sydney, I need you to look in Miss Swan's friend who just came in town. I've heard that she's a writer, I want you to procure her books and a copy of every interview she's ever had. Maybe I'll find answers to my questions in them." Regina ordered over the phone.

"What kind of information do you want me to look for?" Sydney asked her, knowing better than to argue.

"Her parents, I want to know who they are, who she is. I want to know everything there is to know about her life and I want to know if she's here to help Emma Swan take Henry away from me." Regina replied.

"Very well Mayor Mills, I'll have it for you as soon as possible." Sydney replied before he hung up, going straight to work while Regina smiled in satisfaction, knowing that the job would be done and that she'd soon have her answers.

* * *

 ** _I hope you liked it. The last part about Regina is new._**

 ** _A little (or big) review, please?_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 4:**

Bella spent the entire day reading the storybook, taking notes on people and events, and she was just finished when Emma called her to ask if she wanted to join Henry and her for a hot chocolate after his session with Archie. Of course she agreed and, taking the Storybook to give it back to the boy, she went into the dinner, ready to show Henry the last page and ask him what he knew about it.

"So, what do you think Bella?" Henry asked Bella as soon as she arrived.

"Did you see this?" Bella asked him in return, showing him the very last page of the book and the short paragraph that spoke about her without answering his question.

"What is it?" Emma asked her, worried about her best friend's suddenly very serious face.

"I did… At first I didn't know who it was until you introduced yourself when I went to get Emma." Henry replied while Bella pushed the book in front of Emma so she could read it.

"Don't tell me that you're going to believe this curse theory just because of this thing?" Emma asked Bella after having read it.

"I can't help it Emma… When I held the book, everything made sense and… I don't know how to explain it but I…" Bella stopped, looking for the right words.

"What is it?" Emma and Henry asked.

"I've seen this book before, a long time ago, in a dream… Remember Emma, the dreams I told you seemed like memories trying to come back? Well, I've seen this book in one of them." Bella explained.

"So maybe the author of the book is your father." Henry exclaimed.

"I don't know, but if what's on this page is true, then we need the curse to be broken before we look for him." Bella shook her head.

"Oh come on…" Emma rolled her eyes, but was ignored.

"You can't look for him, it's written right here that someone else will have to look for him. We'll need to find out who the Truest believer is and ask him or her to look for your father." Henry reminded her, pointing to the right sentence on the page.

"If you and I have magic why didn't anything weird happen to us before?" Emma asked, trying to prove her point.

"Because magic isn't natural in this world. Maybe you just need to concentrate harder or something." Henry suggested.

"I've been thinking… The curse was cast by the Evil Queen but it's Rumpelstiltskin who created it to be able to come here and find his son again. Something tells me that he might know exactly what's going on here and how to fix it." Bella told Henry.

"You think he wasn't touched by the curse?" He asked her.

As they spoke, Emma looked in the book to a picture of Snow White, pregnant, and Charming by her side. So what if Snow White looked like Mary-Margaret and Prince Charming looked like David Nolan? Even if Bella believed, the fact that Bella's instinct had never been wrong before wasn't enough for Emma to believe as well. She needed more.

"I think it's a possibility. Do you know who he is in this town?"

"No, sorry…" Henry shrugged his shoulders.

"He's made a deal with the Evil Queen to have lots of properties and he likes to make deals… Shouldn't be too hard to find." Bella told him.

"What about Mister Gold?" Emma asked, surprising herself by involving herself with something that couldn't possibly be real.

"You're right, he'd be the perfect Dark One." Henry exclaimed.

"I'll check him out tomorrow then." Bella decided.

"Be careful Bella. I don't know about evil wizards, but he's definitely a dangerous man here." Emma warned her friend who nodded.

"So, Bella, you're in on operation Cobra then?" Henry asked the young woman.

"What's Operation Cobra?"

"It's the name of the Operation to break the curse." Emma informed her.

"Then yes, I am. Who else is a part of it?" She asked him.

"Well you, Emma and me. Archie as well." Henry informed her happily.

"What about Mary-Margaret?" Bella asked.

"I don't think she's ready to believe." Henry shook his head before he looked at the clock and told them that he needed to go.

"Can I keep the book a while longer?" Bella asked him and he nodded before waving goodbye and running through the back door to leave.

"You really believe in this, don't you?" Emma asked her friend.

"I do… Please just give us a chance to convince you Emma. All you have to do is be ready to believe and hold the book."

"What's that going to do?" Emma asked her.

"Well, when I held it, it was like… I don't know… images rushing in my head, making sense… After that, I knew when I saw Ruby that she's Red, that Mary-Margaret is Snow and that the widow Lucas is, well, Granny." Bella told Emma.

"I just touched the book to turn a few pages, it didn't do anything." Emma tried to argue.

"Try it again, please. Hold it with both hands, open you mind and your heart, be willing to believe." Bella pleaded and with a deep breath, Emma did as she was asked.

Emma closed the book, which was still open in front of her and she took it in both of her hand, doing as she was asked and opening her mind to the possibility of magic and the curse being real.

Just like Bella had tried to describe, Emma was surprised by a rush of fairy-tale images. Her father, fighting black knights with her in his arms so he could get her to safety, her mother's tears as she realized that she'd have to leave her daughter, Regina ripping the Huntsman's heart out… everything was suddenly becoming real and making sense.

Bella smiled when a single tear started to drop from Emma's eyes.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked her.

"I… I don't know… I think I need some air…"

"Come on, let's take a walk." Bella offered and Emma nodded, the book still clutched in her arms.

The two young women took less than 10 steps before they were interrupted by Sheriff Graham.

"Emma!" He exclaimed.

"Graham… Bella, this is the Sheriff." Emma introduced them, a torn look on her face.

"Emma, we need to talk." He said after a nod in Bella's direction.

"We have nothing to talk about." Emma replied.

She had let herself open up to him and start having feelings for him but he was having an affair with Regina. Of course, now she knew that Regina held his heart but still, it disgusted her to even think about it.

"It's not what you think, I don't feel anything for her!" He pleaded.

"I… I'll go wait over there Emma." Bella said, grabbing the storybook and stepping away to give them privacy.

She tried not to listen to their conversation but it was obvious that Graham was confused and when Emma asked him for explanations, he simply grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her before he stepped away, eyes wide open.

"What was that? Did you see that?" He asked Emma.

"I think that you need to get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow." Emma told him, in a softer tone.

"Emma…" He started but she cut him off.

"Get some sleep Graham. I promise we'll talk tomorrow at the station. It will all make sense."

They both watched as the Sheriff nodded and turned to go home.

"So, you want to talk about this?" Bella asked Emma.

"This is too much to take… First this curse thing is real, now Graham… I mean, he saved my mother's life so I wouldn't even be alive without him, and now I'm starting to have feelings for him, feelings I don't want by the way, and I find out that he and Regina are having an affair. But since the curse is real, then she holds his heart, which means that he might not be truly willing. Man, Regina is one twisted woman." Emma shook her head as they walked.

"Did you see his reaction when you kissed him?" Bella asked her.

"Yes, I did. So what?" Emma asked, confused.

"Maybe magic does exist here, even if it's rare. I think you made him remember part of it. He might remember more after sleeping." Bella suggested.

"How would I have done that?"

"Well, you're the product of True Love and True Love's kiss can break any curse. Now that you believe, maybe you made him believe part of it with this small kiss…"

"If you tell me that I have to start making out with everyone in town to break this curse, I'll kill you." Emma threatened her.

"No, I think you'll break the curse with a real kiss of True Love but until then, it might be good if he remembered. We could look for his heart, give it back to him and have him on our side…" Bella suggested.

"Well, we're not going to find out anything until tomorrow..." Emma started to say before her eyes fell on Mary-Margaret who was on the other side of the road.

"You want to tell her about this?"

"She wouldn't believe it." Emma shook her head, looking like a lost little girl once more.

"You shouldn't underestimate her. Come on, let's go. We'll try it. Start by telling her about who Henry _'thinks'_ you are and how people are supposed to believe. Maybe she'll be willing to try, if not, then we'll pass on to another subject and try again another time." Bella suggested and Emma nodded, knowing that nothing could stop Bella when she had something on her mind.

.

 ** _The sorcerer's thoughts_**

 _I think things will move on quickly now... At least I hope it does. Maybe Bella won't have to speak to the Dark One on her own, maybe she'll be safe enough to bring someone along. He better behave himself though or he'll end up being nothing more than another star on my hat. I won't allow him to hurt her or anyone she cares about._

 _He once showed me that he could redeem himself, that he could be a good man if he had the right person in his life. This is his chance to do it, in this world, in this town. I included the story of Regina locking Belle away in her tower in the storybook for this reason exactly. They save Belle, give the Dark One hope for a happier, better future._

 _As they made their way to Snow White's loft, I smiled at how hopeful my daughter was being. Her hope and faith in good would save them all, I know it because my hope and faith is what helped me hold on for so long. It's the reason she's here._

 _She might be my daughter, but she's also the daughter of hope and faith because she has them in her and without them, she wouldn't be alive. That alone would make her more powerful than the savior._

.

When he arrived back to his apartment, Graham noticed that he had a message waiting on his answering machine and he recognized the number as Regina's. He decided to ignore it and to do what Emma advised him to do: get some sleep. He trusted her, for some reason, he trusted her and he knew that she'd explain everything the next day like she promised she would.

While he slept, images kept on rushing through Graham's mind.

Snow White, the Evil Queen. Mary-Margaret, Regina.

His heart being ripped out of his chest by Regina because he had saved Snow White, being forced to do everything the Evil Queen wanted of him.

This explained why he couldn't stay away from her, she held his heart, physically, and he needed to get it back or she'd be able to crush it and kill him or worst, to force him to hurt Emma.

Another image haunted him: his wolf.

It forced him to think back to his walks through the woods and to the wolf who often followed him with a distance. It was his wolf, his friend. He had to find him, let him know that he remembered, that everything would be fine. Also, didn't Emma say that she'd seen a wolf the first night when she tried to leave this town? Was it his wolf or another one?

* * *

 ** _So? Liked it? Hated it? Tell me._**

 ** _;-)_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 5:**

Bella and Emma made their way to Mary-Margaret's apartment and waited for the young woman to come home. Less than 15 minutes later, she came inside with a grocery bag in her arms and her usual enthusiastic smile on her face. Emma felt like she was seeing the woman with new eyes.

This wasn't the nice woman who became her friend and offered her a place to stay anymore, she was also her mother. The princess who had sent her away and sacrificed seeing her growing up to give her her best chance, the woman who put her first. Had she always looked this way? Emma felt suddenly nervous and a bit intimidated.

"Hey, isn't this Henry's book? You decided to read it after all, good for you." Mary-Margaret told Emma with a smile after nodding a _hello_ at Bella.

"Remember when you asked me who I was in the book and I told you that I wasn't in it?" Emma asked her friend, without answering her question directly.

"Of course."

"I lied." Emma declared.

"Why? Who are you?" Mary-Margaret asked her.

"Here, you should read the last few pages it'll be easier than to explain." Emma told her and when the school teacher looked up, confused, Bella and Emma only encouraged her with a nod.

Seeing how serious the two young women looked, Mary-Margaret sat down and started reading the pages Emma had pointed out. While she read, Emma went to get the box she had her childhood memories in and took the blanket out, leaving the rest inside without giving it a second look. There would be time for the rest later.

"So, Henry thinks that you're my daughter?" Mary-Margaret asked once she was done, only to have her eyes land on the blanket.

"He does." Emma nodded before she handed the blanket to the teacher.

"This looks just like the one in the book…" The teacher breathed out.

"Mary-Margaret…" Emma started to say but, when she couldn't find the right words, she turned to look at Bella who nodded, knowing that her friend needed her help explaining things.

"Would you be willing to consider Henry's theory as being true?" Bella asked her best friend's mother.

"The one about the curse or the one about Emma being my daughter? Because I think that I would remember giving birth to someone 28 years ago." She asked.

"Both." Emma replied, looking down, preparing herself for the rejection she was used to getting from most people in her life.

"You're serious… You believe in this?" Mary-Margaret asked Emma and Bella.

"I know how crazy it sounds. All you have to do is open your mind to it being true and hold the book… At least it worked for Bella, Henry and me. I… I don't know if you'd get your memories back or if you'll simply see things are real but… I…" Emma said, trying not to look so afraid.

"Please, could you try?" Bella asked Mary-Margaret who didn't move or say anything for a few minutes.

She was deep in thoughts and was thinking about everything. How easy it was for her to trust Emma, how close she felt to David Nolan, Regina's hatred of her even though she never did anything to her… Not in this life at least.

She glanced up and the resigned look on Emma's face broke her heart a little. If this was her daughter, she had to trust her, to believe in her and to go for it. She couldn't turn her back on her, she couldn't risk it not being true. It's with a determined look on her face that, a couple of minutes later, the young teacher took the book in her hands.

"Emma… I… It's weird… I don't remember everything but it's like the parts that are in the book are clear in my head… I… I remember giving birth to you and telling David to put you in the wardrobe to give you your best chance but I don't remember living it… It's like memories of a dream or a movie I saw at some point or something..." Mary-Margaret suddenly declared, her eyes full of tears as she rushed to put the book down and take her daughter in her arms.

"It's probably because the curse isn't broken yet. The book is here to help break it, not to do Emma's job for her." Bella replied.

"So it's really true? You're my… my mother?" Emma asked Mary-Margaret shyly.

"I am, yes. Oh Emma… What are we going to do? Your father is… How am I supposed to watch him while he's with Abigail?" The teacher exclaimed.

"Abigail? You mean Katherine?" Emma asked her and Snow nodded.

"She's Princess Abigail, King Midas' daughter." The mother replied.

"In the book, she has a prince so it's simple: find him here and get them to meet." Bella added while she looked for a picture of Princess Abigail's prince in the book.

"He kind of looks like the school's gym teacher." Mary-Margaret replied.

"Okay, it's simple then, tomorrow, Emma has to deal with Graham who might start remembering things since he kissed her earlier and I have to meet with M. Gold and try to see what he knows so Mary-Margaret, you'll work with Henry to get Frederic back to his princess and her, away from your prince." Bella decided, taking charge of things.

"You make it sound so simple." Emma chuckled.

"Anything is possible when you put your heart to it." Bella replied with a decided smile on her face.

"Sounds like a quote taken right out of the book." Emma shook her head.

"Will Henry even want to help?" Mary-Margaret asked, only now starting to realize that he was her grandson.

"Henry's always ready for Operation Cobra." Emma nodded with a chuckle.

"Now, why don't we decide on a tactic over Burgers at Granny's? On me." Bella offered and the two women nodded and followed her down the stairs and to the dinner.

.

The next morning, Bella, Emma and Mary-Margaret had breakfast together at Granny's where Henry joined them before going to school with his teacher. He was happy to learn that his biological mother finally believed in the curse and in him and that his teacher and grandmother believed as well. He felt that things would be much easier now.

Of course he was more than happy to help Mary-Margaret in reuniting Frederic and princess Abigail (Katherine) so that David could be with Mary-Margaret, or at least be alone until they managed to break the curse.

"It's not going to be easy. How are you going to do it?" Bella asked Henry and his teacher.

"We can get her to school under false pretense and make sure she accidentally meets him. I think we can do it pretty easily." Mary-Margaret assured them.

"Well, I hope you'll be fine. I have to go to the station and see what Graham remembers." Emma told them as she stood up and put her jacket back on.

"Take the book with you, it might help but don't try anything too dangerous on your own. Call before making a move against anyone." Bella told her friend who nodded, understanding that by ' _anyone'_ Bella really meant ' _Regina'_.

"Call us before you try anything." Mary-Margaret insisted, a serious look on her face.

"I will." Emma nodded, a softer look on her face as she thought about the fact that her new friend was actually her mother and that she was concerned about her.

After Emma left, Henry and Mary-Margaret left as well and Bella was left on her own. She took her time finishing her breakfast before she made her way to Mister Gold's pawnbroker shop to see if he remembered anything and if he could tell her anything useful about the curse, the way to break it or even her and her father.

.

While Henry and his teacher managed to accomplish their mission perfectly, Emma was at the station, facing awkwardly Graham. She had hoped to arrive before he did and to be the one waiting for him but it looked like he had been there for a couple of hours already.

"Emma! We need to talk, since last night I've been seeing things… Remembering things… I remember trying to hurt Mary-Margaret in a forest but I don't know when it was…" He said, rushing to her.

"I can explain everything but you'll have a hard time believing it." Emma told him.

"As long as your explanation isn't that I'm crazy, I'm fine with it." He smiled.

"Okay, you need to sit down, open your mind to any possibility and take this book. Then, depending on what happens, I'll explain everything." Emma told him with a smile.

.

Bella was now standing nervously in front of the Pawnbroker's shop. How to bring her problem up?

After about 10 minutes of hesitating, she finally gathered her courage and pushed the door open.

"Ah, I thought you were going to stay outside all day." A man she guessed was Mister Gold said from behind the counter.

"Good morning Mister Gold. My name is Bella Swan." She smiled.

"Any relations to Emma?" He asked her.

"Yes, we're together." She replied before blushing when she realized how it could have been understood after seeing his amused smirk.

"I mean… Not intimate, I mean, we... We're family, like family. Best friends… It's a long story." She corrected with a deep embarrassed blush, making Gold chuckle.

"I've heard about you, it seems that the Widow Lucas is very fond of you." He replied.

"Only because she likes my books." Bella smiled.

"I was curious so I ordered them. I guess I'll start reading them as soon as I get them." He told her.

"I hope you'll like it. Considering the number of books you have around, you must love reading… It's not often you see that many books in a pawnbroker's shop."

"Is that why you're here? To buy a book?" he asked her.

"No, not yet anyway. I was wondering if you were the one who gave Henry the Storybook he took his curse theory from. It looks like a well kept antique or something." She asked him.

"Regina asked me the same question and I'll tell you what I told her: I've never even seen this book before."

"Oh, and here I thought you might be able to enlighten me about some facts…"

"Facts?" He asked her.

"About the storybook and the people in it, where they are, how to identify them, that kind of things." She explained.

"Because you believe in his theory?" He asked her.

"I might."

"Why come to me thought?" He asked her.

"Because if I believed in the curse, I'd also believe that you are Rumpelstiltskin and that you created it in the first place." She smiled.

"That's some theory…" He shook his head.

"Well, it's too bad you're not him because if you were, I'd be able to reunite you with your one true love and give you a second chance with her." Bella replied, hoping to catch him on a lie.

"How? She's dead." He said before realizing what he had just done.

"Are you admitting to it being true?" She asked him.

"If you are believing in it, then I am Rumpelstiltskin." He smiled.

He liked her and the way she handled him, she amused him.

"I guess we've taken a big step forward in breaking the curse." Bella assured him.

"Does the savior believe?" he asked her, showing her to the back room so they could both sit down.

"Emma believes since last night, so do the sheriff and her mother. Mary-Margaret and Henry are working on introducing Abigail/ Katherine to her prince so David can be free if not with his wife. Emma is explaining everything to Graham, we'll work on getting his heart back later." Bella explained.

"How did you know you could trust me?" He asked her.

"Without trusting you completely, I have a pretty good instinct and I know that you want Belle and your son. As long as our interests go in the same direction, we'll be able to work together. Maybe we'll even manage to become friends someday." She replied.

"You mentioned Belle… How could you reunite us?"

"She's not dead. In the book, there's a page about how Regina told you she was dead when she was locked in her tower the entire time. As soon as Graham has his heart back, Emma and I will join him and try to find her." Bella told him.

"Do you have it with you?" He asked her and she understood that he needed to see it in order to believe it.

"No, Emma took the book to show Graham but if you come with me now, we can join them and she'll show you."

"Very well." He nodded, standing up and grabbing his jacket and cane before he followed her outside.

 ** _.The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _I don't know how I feel about my daughter spending time with the vile Rumpelstiltskin but I agree with her, as long as their interest align, he'll stay on her side. Despite his power, The Dark One remains a coward and he'll always try to have powerful people by his side. He'll soon feel that she is powerful and that she could have the power to stop him, that moment, I'll know if the Dark One is worth giving a chance to or not. If he goes after her, I'll know he has a place in my hat. If he doesn't go after her and behaves himself, then I might consider helping him get rid of the darkness of the Dark One without having to die._

 _I just hope that he won't hurt my baby._

 _It's all because of his mother really. He wouldn't have become the Dark One, none of this would have happened if she hadn't abandoned him. The fact that everyone looks up to her and thinks she is such a great person makes me want to laugh sometimes..._ _What a great actress she is._

* * *

 ** _So, like, love or hate?_**

 ** _Review?_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 6:**

Bella and Gold talked a little on the way to the station and Bella explained her relationship with Emma to the powerful man. She wanted him to be on her side for as long as possible and she knew that in order to make him want to help her, she had to show him that she trusted him, she had to let him in, hoping that he'd let her in as well and that he'd become a friend. If he considered her a friend, he'll be less inclined to betray her, he'd think twice before doing something that would hurt her if she helped him. If he ever was to go back to being at his worst, she wanted him to think twice about hurting her and the people she loved. He could care and she needed him to. Caring about her even a little bit could make him hesitate just long enough for her or someone else to find a solution.

When they arrived at the station, they found Emma and Graham making out in his office, wrapped tightly in each other's arms while Emma was sitting on the desk, her legs wrapped around his waist. They were so into each other that none of them realized that they weren't alone in the room anymore.

"Hum hum…" Bella fake coughed with laughter in her eyes, making the couple jump apart.

"Bella, Mister Gold… I… We… hum…" Emma didn't know what to say.

"You were?" Bella asked her with great amusement, remembering when, a few years ago, Emma had been the one catching her making out with her boyfriend of the moment.

Of course at the time Bella had been 16 and eager to fall in love, to feel loved, Emma was now a grown woman who claimed that she didn't believe in love anymore. Bella felt like she was allowed to gloat a little. It was a sweet and somewhat funny revenge.

"She was helping me remember." Graham jumped in, trying to help ease Emma's embarrassment.

"Breaking the curse will take some time if Miss Swan has to make out with every single person in town in order to do it." Gold chuckled.

"And unsanitary." Bella joked.

"Very unsanitary." Gold nodded, amused.

"It could be very entertaining though. I even think some people would pay to watch her do it. Maybe that's the perfect way to raise money to repair Henry's wooden castle and the play ground." Bella added and even Graham chuckled.

"I imagine Doctor Whale paying for such a show, yes." Gold nodded.

"Very funny, now that you've had your laugh, care to tell me what you're doing here?" Emma asked her.

"By the way, it's a good thing we were the ones to come in and not Regina. Who knows how she would have reacted to this sight." Bella commented.

"True." Graham nodded with a suddenly paler face.

"You came for a reason or just to catch me making out like a teenage girl?" Emma asked, obviously remembering the same past moment as Bella had when she came inside.

"At least you still have your bra on." Bella pointed out.

"True. If I remember correctly, yours landed in the trashcan." Emma smirked, remembering when she caught Bella and entered just as Bella's bra flew in front of the door.

"Anyway, I came because I want to show him the page in the book where Regina locks Belle in her tower because he still thinks that she's dead." Bella added, taking the book and turning the pages.

"The tower?" Graham asked her.

"Yes, why?" Bella asked him.

"Did you see her? Was she okay?" Gold asked him.

"No, sorry. Regina didn't allow me in her tower, I was only allowed near the prisoners that she kept in the dungeons. I don't even know how many people she had in that tower of hers. I know that shortly before she cast her curse someone, a pirate a think, managed to break in and even killed a guard in doing so but she took care of it." He explained in an apologetic tone while Bella flipped through the pages of the book, looking for the one she had told Gold about.

"A pirate? Do you know who?" Gold asked, thinking of his enemy, the one who, he knew it, wanted him dead.

"I have no idea, Regina never said anything except that she had handled it." Graham shook his head.

"Here, that's the page." Bella nodded, showing it to him.

Gold took the book in his hands and started to read. As he went on, the emotions on his face were a mixture of happiness at the knowledge of Belle being alive and anger at Regina for what she did to his beautiful love.

"She planned it all… She rushed things, rushed Belle who in turned rushed me, put ideas in her head so she could take her away from me… She'll pay." He growled.

"Calm down, we need to be careful about this." Emma advised him.

"No, I just need to thrust my cane through her chest." Gold replied angrily.

"If we have to arrest you for getting rid of Regina, you'll never be able to find Belle and have your Happy Ending with her." Emma reasoned with him.

"We don't even know what Belle's cursed identity is. We need to search a bit, see if she even has one and then we'll be able to look for her." Graham decided.

"We can also keep an eye on Regina and her moves in town. See if there are places where she goes that a normal woman in her situation wouldn't go." Emma added.

"Before we do anything else, we need to get my heart back or she'll just keep on controlling me and she'll get all of this out of me before you can find Belle." Graham reminded them.

"She could also very well kill you. Even without magic around, crushing your magic heart would kill you here and now." Gold added.

"Henry and Mary-Margaret are coming here after school but she texted me earlier that Katherine met the gym teacher already and she could see love happening. At least that is done. I'm sure Henry will be able to help us get the heart back." Emma explained.

"Isn't this a bit too dangerous for him to get involved with?" Graham asked.

"I think it would be even more dangerous not to tell him and not to let him help." Bella replied, letting her instinct speak.

"Your instinct?" Emma asked her.

"Yes." Bella nodded.

"Then we'd be crazy not to listen to it." Emma nodded.

She remembered very well how the last time she hadn't listened to Bella ended up. Bella had warned her that selling the watches was a bad idea, yet, she had decided to trust Neal and had done it. She ended up in jail, pregnant and alone while Neal was probably spending that money somewhere, getting the new start she had wanted.

"So Miss Blanchard knows everything as well?" Gold asked.

"Yes, she doesn't remember everything but she knows and believes what's in the book." Emma replied.

"So you know that she's your mother?" He asked her.

"I do." Emma nodded, eager to change the subject.

She wasn't ready to talk about this yet because even if she now knew why her parents had let her go, they still did it. They could have kept her with them, and they would have grown up together, as a family but they didn't and she had to be alone. She still resented them a bit for that.

After a few more minutes, Gold left them to go back to his shop and Bella decided to join him to try and learn as much as possible about the curse and the town. When the curse broke, she wanted to be ready for anything and since he was willing to help her, she was going to take advantage of it.

"So, do you happen to have any idea of who I am?" She asked him.

They had the book with them and he had just read the last page of the book.

"According to that last little paragraph, I'd say that the Author of the book is your father."

"Do you know him?" Bella asked him hopefully.

"I didn't even know the Author was a man until I read this. I don't think anyone knows who he is but once the curse is broken, you might want to ask the fairies." He replied, saying the last word with disdain.

"I get the feeling that you don't like the fairies much… Why? They're supposed to be super good, right?" Bella asked him.

"I have a bit of an history with them, especially with Blue. She could have helped me when I was a boy but she ignored my cries, then when I became the Dark One to help my son, instead of helping me keep my son and change back into a good man, she helped him escape from me."

"I saw the story in the book." Bella nodded.

"She could have reopened the portal right behind my son, I know that now because I later found out more about the fairies' magic but she didn't because she judged me on my color, literally." He explained, not hiding his resentment at the blue fairy.

"She does sound a bit judgy, I mean, I've read Tinkerbelle's story on one page and it was just… I don't know. It just seems a bit too harsh a punishment for me and forcing Dreamy and Nova apart was just cruel. It's her fault if Dreamy became Grumpy and without her intervention, Tinkerbelle would have kept trying to get Regina to believe that she deserved love and the curse would have never been cast." Bella replied.

"I'm not a fool, I know that I'm an evil man but I can't help but think that if I had left with my son, I'd be a better man. Milah was right all along, I should have left my home when we got married. Everything would be different by now."

"Why didn't you?" She asked him.

"I was afraid. I've grown up knowing that my father was a coward who abandoned me, who didn't care about me and I've always been afraid of being like him, of losing my family… It turned me into a coward, in all areas of my life." He replied honestly.

"I… I'm actually very surprised at your honesty with me right now. Maybe it shows that you're ready to change, to become a better man. If this book teaches anything it's that it's never too late." Bella suggested.

"Or maybe I can feel that you and Emma are powerful and I don't want to be on your bad side." He smiled.

"I don't think that's totally it. I mean, yes, sure, a part of you wants to be on our good side so we don't end up going against you but I have a pretty good instinct on things and I can tell that you want a new beginning, your happiness. You just need to keep in mind that how powerful you are doesn't matter, what matters to get your happy ending is how far you're trying, truly. Doing good things is what makes you a good man and being a good man is the first step into getting your happy ending." Bella advised him.

"You seem to have a great insight on happy endings. What makes you think you're right?" he asked her, still pretty calm.

"Every book I've ever read." She smiled.

"Including this one?" He asked her, pointing to Henry's storybook.

"Yes, I spent all day yesterday reading it and taking notes on everything and I have to say, whoever wrote this book seems to have a grudge against Regina because only her bad traits are portrayed."

"I see… Well, I can't promise that I won't disappoint you, but I'll try to be a better man until we find Belle. Just don't expect me to change the way I treat the fairies. I still have my limits." He told her with a tentative friendly smile.

"We all have our limits, we become better persons by pushing them further away with every step we take." She replied wisely with a small smile.

"You'll keep me informed of anything that relates to finding Belle?" He asked Belle.

"Of course. Here, that's my cell phone number, call me tonight and I'll tell you what we discussed with the others." She told him.

After that, Bella spent a couple more hours with him, discussing the people in town and who they were, when he knew it. He told her about his fail safe, the golden egg hidden in Magnificent dragon form's chest. He explained that it contained a potion made of True Love that would help him break the curse if Emma couldn't do it. He also told her the few things he knew about his son in hope that she could help him locate his whereabouts but unfortunately it wasn't much to go on.

"Maybe when magic is back we'll be able to find out more about him. At this point, even what he looks like would help." Bella told him.

"Or the name he's using." He nodded.

"Emma might be able to find more about him if we had more information… I mean, all we have is Baelfire and something tells me that he's not using that name now." She shook her head.

"I know, I've got my work cut out for me but I'll find my son, I didn't do all of this just to fail so close to the goal. We're finally in the same realm after so many years apart. I'll find him."

"Being optimistic is the right way to go." She complimented.

When Bella finally left the Pawnbroker's shop to go back to the station, she had her head filled with the knowledge she had just learned. She had been surprised by the Dark One's openness with her but she knew better than to take that as a win. He was the kind of man who could make her feel like they were becoming friends right before he sent her on the road to hell to be slaughtered. She knew she had to stand on her guards but she also knew that as long as they were looking for Belle, he'd be on their side. Once they found Belle, they'd have to make sure the woman was on their side, willing to help Gold becoming a better man. If what they shared really was True Love, she'd be able to do it.

 ** _.The Sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _I wonder how they'll take it when they find out who Baelfire is. It's nice to see Emma opening up to the possibility of love but I know that deep down she still loves Henry's father. How will she react when she finds out who he is and that he, too, left her for what was supposed to be her own good? It's a good thing my daughter will be here to help her like she always has._

 _I can't help but care about Emma as well, she's such an important part of my daughter's life, how could I not? I love her like one would love a niece and I'll do my best to protect her the same way I would my daughter._

 _I was happy to realized that my daughter didn't fall for the Blue fairy's act. She felt like something wasn't good in the fairy just by reading the book. She didn't need to trust her hand in the fairy's chest to know her heart is darkened by her past and that her decisions are clouded by her mistakes. I've never been a big fan of Blue and I know that she's afraid of me. I threatened her with my hat once already, I almost sucked her inside it and I can't wait for her to find out that Bella is my daughter._

 _I know that the look on her face will be worth it._

 _Bella thinks I have a grudge against Regina? Well, if only she knew the truth, how deep my grudge goes and why..._

* * *

 ** _So, what's the verdict?_**

 ** _Thanks for reading and reviewing so far, I hope you'll keep at it. We're getting close to chapters that haven't been rewritten and that are new._**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 7:**

When Bella arrived at the Sheriff's station later that afternoon, Henry and Mary-Margaret were already present, eating pastries they had brought with them for everyone and commenting on what had happened between David's wife and the gym teacher.

"Bella, have you been at Gold's this entire time?" Emma asked her once she came in the station.

"Yes, we talked a lot. I think that if we manage to find Belle alive and well, as long as she wants him to be a better man, he'll do his best to be a better man." She replied.

"Love can do that to people." Mary-Margaret nodded.

"That's great, that would be like vanquishing the Dark One except without killing him and we'd keep him on our side in case another bad guy comes!" Henry exclaimed.

"That's one way to see things kid." Emma chuckled.

"Where's Graham?" Bella asked.

"Henry told him that Regina's vault was under her mausoleum according to the book so he's going to check it out since we know she's busy at the office and won't be able to catch him." Emma replied.

"Are you sure that she won't step out of her routine and go there? It's always a possibility…" Bella insisted.

"Why would she? She never has so far." Henry shook his head.

"That was before Emma and I arrived, Henry. Our coming here changed things and it might change that as well." Bella added.

"She's right." Mary-Margaret nodded.

"What do we do then?" Henry asked eagerly.

"I'll go and see her, pretend I just want to introduce myself to the mayor of the town I'm now writing into. Henry, you go with Emma and help Graham. If Regina comes, you'll just interfere." Bella suggested.

"What about me?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"You take the book and try to get David to hold it, read it, believe it. If he could have the same reaction you did, it would be great, we could use him working with us." Bella told her best friend's mother who nodded and grabbed the large Storybook before she left the station, closely followed by Bella, Henry and Emma.

.

Bella quickly arrived in the city hall and asked to see the Mayor.

"You're lucky I was available, I usually don't meet people without appointments." Regina declared when Bella entered.

"Thank you, I hate to show up out of the blue but I felt like introducing myself to you was the right thing to do. I mean, it's a very nice small town you have here." Bella replied.

"Why should you introduce yourself? You're just Miss Swan's sister, right?"

"Actually, we're not related, we're best friends, almost cousins once but not sisters, not legally at least. But I'm a writer and since I might inspire my next book from this town's beautiful scenery, I figured it was only right for me to come to you first." Bella smiled, doing her best to look and act like a sweet, innocent young woman willing to give anyone who asked a chance.

"But you came here to help Emma Swan." Regina insisted.

"I came here to make sure that she wasn't alone and not to be alone myself. We've been together for the past 10 years, I couldn't just stay away."

"You're going to help her take my son away." Regina accused.

"Not at all. All I want is for everyone to find a way to be happy together, I'm an optimist like that. I don't know why Henry looked for Emma but he did and now that he came back in her life, she won't be able to let him go again, it was hard enough the first time. I'm confident that the two of you can make it work, if you take the time to get to know each other, to understand each other and to believe that you both want to make Henry happy, that you both want what's best for him. Henry seems to be a special boy and I'm sure he'll be able to reconcile the two of you eventually." Bella smiled.

"How optimistic of you." Regina replied and Bella could guess that the Evil Queen was now trying to figure out who Bella could be, what her role would be in the book.

"You sound like Emma when you say that, she thinks it's foolish as well." Bella chuckled.

"Well, looks like you're right and I do have something in common with her then." Regina smiled un-sincerely.

"To get back to my book, I want you to know that even if I inspire my book from this town and its people, I'll change any name of people and places. Apparently you like your town cut from the world and I respect that, it's the reason of its charm I guess." Bella told Regina, never parting with her sincere and gentle smile.

"That would be much appreciated. You've been seen at Mister Gold's pawnbroker's shop earlier today, why did you see him if you don't mind me asking? Did you know him before coming here?" Regina asked, confirming to Bella that she was having them watched.

"What better place for a writer to seek inspiration from than a shop filled with antiquities waiting to tell their stories?"

"Tell their stories? They're objects Miss Swan, they don't talk." Regina frowned.

"They do if you're willing to listen, with your imagination." Bella replied, amused as she thought of the Beauty and the Beast movie, her favorite, with the moving and talking objects.

"I see… Well, thank you for coming to see me today but I do have a lot of work to do. Being mayor of this town isn't an easy job and I promised Henry I'd be home for dinner." Regina dismissed Bella.

"Of course, thank you again for taking the time to see me. Have a good afternoon Mayor Mills and don't hesitate to call me if you want to ask me any questions." Bella smiled, shaking Regina's hand and giving her a piece of paper with her phone number on it before she left.

On her way out, Bella took the time to look around discreetly and soon spotted the one that was spying on her.

Sidney Glass.

Gold told her about him and she knew that besides Graham, he'd be the only other person in this town willing to do anything for Regina. Emma wasn't being watched right now and all Bella had to do was make sure Sidney stayed busy behind her.

.

Bella quickly texted Emma that Sidney Glass was following her right now and that Regina was still busy in her office. She added that she'd wait for them at Granny's and try to keep Sidney on her.

Emma quickly replied that they had found Graham's heart in one of the hidden boxes under the Mausoleum and that they were on their way, they'd just drop Henry off first.

"What can I get you tonight?" Ruby asked her.

"I'll just have a soda until Emma arrives, thanks." Bella smiled.

"Coming right up." Ruby nodded, returning Bella's smile.

"Thanks." Bella told her a couple of minutes later when Ruby returned with Bella's drink of choice.

"So, I was wondering… Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course Ruby, what is it?" Bella nodded.

Ruby sat down in front of Bella and after thinking for a couple of minutes she asked:

"In your books, all the hot scenes you write… Is it from personal experience?"

"Oh gosh no! No, I don't get around _that_ much… No, I just have a very fruitful imagination when I don't get any for a few months, which happens often since I don't have sex until I date a guy for more than 3 months and that's happened like… 3 times maybe." Bella replied, blushing a bit.

"Oh… And you come up with that on your own? You don't watch porn or things like that?" Ruby asked.

"Not for this no. I just know what I'd like to live and I just… Go ahead and write it." Bella informed her.

"Can you... You know, get off by simply using your imagination?" Ruby asked Bella in a whispered voice.

They were both blushing hard now and Granny, from her spot behind the counter, was about to come and call Ruby back to work.

"Not only my imagination, I need some manual help if you know what I mean." Bella replied with a smirk just before Ruby was called back in to work.

When Emma and Graham arrived a few minutes later, they looked much closer than before.

"So, what happened between the two of you?" Bella asked when she noticed how relaxed Emma looked.

"We found his heart, everything is fine." Emma replied.

"What did you do with it? Did you manage to put it back inside his chest?"

"Yes, she did it." Graham replied proudly.

"At first I didn't think I could do it since there is no magic here but the heart in itself is magic. I closed my eyes and tried, concentrating on the fact that I believed it to be possible. When I opened them again, I had done it. And just so Regina doesn't know immediately that it's missing, we replaced it by an old one." Emma explained, obviously very proud of herself.

"Well, that's good. Now, before we start looking for Belle, we should try to take care of Sidney Glass to make sure that he stops following us around. He's not even trying to hide it, or if he is, then he's not very good at it." Bella told them.

"Yes, I saw him outside. He could do with a lesson in spying techniques. I'm sure even Henry would be better than he is." Emma argued.

"Maybe we need to find reasons to arrest him. If we look deep enough, we're bound to find something useful." Graham suggested.

"How about we have dinner first though? I'm starving." Bella suggested and the couple in front of her agreed.

"I could do with a grilled cheese and some onion rings." Emma nodded.

They ordered and ate joyfully while exchanging ideas on how to deal with their current problems. Graham was confident that they would find a way to legally put Sydney in jail and Bella believed it too but Emma was a bit distracted. She kept on checking her phone, waiting for Mary-Margaret to inform her that her father remembered everything and that she could go and meet him officially.

"Don't worry Emma, even if the book doesn't work on David, he'll believe once you break the curse and I'm confident that you will." Bella reassured Emma.

"I know, I just… My entire life I've wanted to know my parents and now they're here but it's like they're out of reach…" Emma shook her head.

"You have your mother." Graham reminded her.

"She believes but she doesn't really remember everything, it's still not the same." Emma added.

"Don't worry, with a little patience, everything will be back to the way it should be." Bella replied, trying not to think too much about the fact that she still didn't know who her own parents were.

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry! I complain about my situation when yours is much worst, you don't even know who your parents are, what they look like or where they are! I'm sorry…" Emma exclaimed.

"Don't worry about it, let's deal with one thing at the time." Bella brushed it off.

"I think we could start by arresting Sydney Glass. Bella could press charges because he's following her and she can claim she's afraid for her safety. We should be able to keep him a few days at least." Graham suggested to change the subject.

"Good idea." Bella nodded.

Once they were done eating their dinner, they rushed back to the sheriff's station and Bella filed the necessary paperwork that would allow Graham to arrest Sydney.

"I'll do it tomorrow morning." He informed them.

"I hope Mary-Margaret is home. It worries me that she hasn't texted or called." Emma confessed to Bella on their way home.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it will all be fine. Now, I feel like something's changed between you and Graham, care to explain?" Bella asked her best friend.

"I… After I placed his heart back, he kissed me. I thought it was just in the heat of the moment but he said that he'd love for us to try to have a relationship so… Why not?" Emma explained with a little blush.

"Well, you've changed Emma. Being in this town has made you more open." Bella complimented.

"I hope we'll be able to find your father soon Bella, I know how much you want to know him." Emma told her.

"It's okay, don't worry. Now that I know that my dreams are memories, I have something of his to hold on to. His voice, his presence." Bella smiled.

"I'll do everything I can so that you have more than a memory to hold on to." Emma promised before she entered Mary-Margaret's building and Bella turned the corner to go back to the Bed and Breakfast.

.

"Oh hey Bella, going to bed already?" Ruby asked her as soon as they entered the building.

"I might read or write a bit first." Bella smiled.

"I'm heading to the White Rabbit for a drink if you want to come with me. You might meet someone interesting there." Ruby offered.

"Why not? One drink won't hurt and it might change my mind a bit." Bella accepted and followed Ruby out.

The two young women walked side by side and talked as they made their way to the bar. On the way, Ruby told Bella a bit more about the town and its people, at least their cursed version of it. Bella found it easy to hang out with Ruby and she couldn't wait for the curse to be broken so she could get to know Red more as well.

"Do you come here often?" Bella asked Ruby when they finally entered the bar.

"A few nights a week, yes. It helps me fight the boredom of this small town life." Ruby replied.

"Well, I have a feeling that things will change and get a lot less boring in the next few weeks." Bella replied with a mysterious smile.

"Here's to hoping!" The young woman dressed in red and black said, cheering with her glass.

After about an hour of drinking, talking and laughing, Bella headed to the bathroom only to have a young man run into her and spill his drink on her shirt.

"Oh! Sorry Miss, I didn't see you there." He apologized with a smile on his face Bella guessed had won over several other women before, if not with the smile, then it had to be his accent.

"Don't worry, it can always be cleaned up." She waved it off, trying to move past him but he blocked her, stepping on the same side as she did.

"Are you here alone?" He asked her.

"No, I came with my friend Ruby."

"New to town and already making friends? And here I was hoping I would be lucky enough to be your first friend in town." He replied, making her chuckle.

"Did you expect this line to work?" She asked him, amused.

"Kind of, yes." He nodded, smiling as well.

"I'm not that easy to get." She told him stepping around him and making her way to Ruby.

"Allow me to buy you a drink?" He asked her, following her.

"Sorry, I've had all the drinks I need for tonight, I'm about to leave." She smiled, blushing under Ruby's eyes that followed her and her drink-spiller.

"Dinner then?"

"You want to buy me dinner? I don't even know your name." Bella shook her head.

"Will Scarlet, Miss. It's enchanting to meet you." He bowed and though she didn't remember why or where, Bella felt like that name was familiar.

Was it possible that he had come from his fairy-tale without changing names like everyone else? Surely Regina only changed the names of the people she wanted to hurt the most, if he was a nobody in the Enchanted Forest, then his name would be the same. She'd have to read the book more closely to find out who he was. Somehow, in her head, the name Will Scarlet was attached to the woods and reminded her of Robin Hood.

"I'm Bella." She replied.

"So Bella, will I have the honor of taking you to dinner tomorrow?"

"You're really serious about this?"

"Of course I am!"

"What if I say yes and tomorrow you're too hung over to remember this talk?" She asked him.

"Trust me, I'll remember you." Will assured her.

"Fine. I'll meet you at Granny's around 7:30 for dinner tomorrow. If you're not there by 7:45, I'm eating alone and your window of opportunity will have closed up." Bella finally agreed, making him smile and leave her alone with a smile.

"New boyfriend?" Ruby asked her.

"I'm pretty sure he'll be too drunk to remember tomorrow but we'll see where this goes. I'll never know if I don't try."

"Yes, who knows, he might be your Soul mate." Ruby chuckled.

"We'll see. He is kind of cute and I do have a thing for accents." Bella commented as they paid and walked slowly back to the Bed and Breakfast.

 **.the sorcerer's thoughts.**

 _This Will Scarlet thinks he's good enough to date my daughter? How did this even happen? I looked away from the mirror for 10 minutes to get some tea, I knew I needed to be extra vigilant when she's in a bar, and when I come back, he's asking her out? I made it my mission to protect her from losers like him and now she's considering going on a date with him. The boy doesn't even have his heart in his chest and when he gets it back, he'll still be in love with Anastasia. I should just send him back to Wonderland or erase his memories of the evening so that he doesn't show up to their date but then again, it would hurt my daughter._

 _She wants to believe that he'll come, that he'll be there for her, that he won't be another disappointment and I can't hurt her that way, I can just hurt him after he's hurt her._

 _Fine, I'll let him keep his memories and go to the date, but his first step out of line will also be his last. He better not break her heart or hurt her in any way or he'll end up in more pain that he could have ever imagined._

 _I won't let him break my baby's heart. She's had enough broken hearts in her life already._

* * *

 ** _Here we are with another rewritten chapter. One of the last._**

 ** _I'm having some fun writing the Sorcerer's thoughts. Do you like reading them or would you rather I didn't write them anymore?_**

 ** _Review?_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 8:**

The next morning, Bella woke up a little later than usual and the first thing that crossed her mind was "Will Will Scarlet show up tonight or will he be another guy to let her down?"

Shaking her head and trying not to think about it, Bella got ready and went to Granny's to get some breakfast before she went to the sheriff's station to see what Emma and Graham were planning on doing for the day. When Bella arrived, around 10 in the morning, Graham was interrogating a handcuffed Sydney Glass while Emma seemed to be filing some paperwork.

Bella directly went to see her.

"Bella, how was your night?"

"Let me guess, you already know that I went out with Ruby last night." Bella shook her head.

"It's a small town, word seems to get around quickly around here. So, how is he?" Emma replied.

"I don't know… I mean, he's cute, but I don't know if we'll have much in common. I said yes because it'll be something to do, to socialize, but I doubt it'll become love anytime soon, even though he's very charming in a boyish kind of way. I just feel like there's something off about him."

"Well, maybe you'll at least have some fun."

"Probably, if he shows up. I get a weird vibe about him, I don't know what it's about so I'll see tonight. So, what did Mary-Margaret have to say last night?"

"Last night? Not much… She came back around 6 this morning to shower and change before she went to work." Emma smiled.

"I take it that David believes?"

"I haven't seen him yet but Mary-Margaret told me that he read the pages of the book she showed him, he listened to what she had to say and he's willing to believe."

"The book worked on him, then?" Bella asked her.

"Yes. They want to see me for dinner tonight." Emma replied nervously.

"You have nothing to be nervous about. He's probably just as nervous as you are, maybe even more so because he just learned that he had a 28 years old daughter."

"I know but still… Prince Charming is my father. My father battled dragons, mermaids and black knights… He's… cool, and brave!" Emma smiled.

"Wait, where does he stand with Katherine? You know, his cursed wife?"

"As soon as she came home from the school, they had a serious talk. They both knew that they were having problems, that things between them weren't right so…" Emma shrugged her shoulders.

"It must have been quite a connection she felt with the gym teacher."

"True Love." Emma replied.

"So, what do we have planned today?" Bella asked.

"As soon as Graham is done with Glass, we'll go to the City Hall and look in the records if we can find anything about Belle or where she could be." Emma replied.

"Wouldn't it be easier to place a tracking device on Regina or something she always has with her?" Bella asked.

"Graham placed one under the hood of her car early this morning but we can't place one anywhere else, that would be taking the risk of being discovered."

"True. And we can't follow her because she could notice it." Bella realized.

"Yep. So, what are your plans today?" Emma asked Bella.

"Well, since I can't look for my own parents, I'll help you and Graham for a while, then this afternoon I'll go to the park and write a little before my date with Will." Bella replied.

"Good idea. Do you want me to look into the database to see if he has a history?" Emma asked, speaking about Will Scarlet.

"Why not." Bella nodded and Emma started typing on the computer, quickly finding that the young man was often arrested for breaking and entering.

"He never stole much but he's not exactly a good guy." Emma commented.

"Yeah well, he'll do until I meet my knight in shining armor, right?" Bella chuckled while thinking back to her previous boyfriends.

She had never really dated any good guys, only bad guys seems to be interested in her, men that wanted something from her or that were going to break her heart. Whenever she thought that they were good guys, she ended up finding out that they were actually just pretending to get her in their bed. Maybe she'd meet a good guy in this town, maybe a prince or some sort of knight or good wizard.

"Sydney is in jail for now. So, do we get to work or do you have something else to do?" Graham walked in and suggested.

"Yes, let's go." Bella and Emma nodded.

"You're coming with us?" Graham asked Bella, surprised.

"Yes, I'm very good at research and if someone comes, I'll distract them while you run or stay hidden." Bella replied.

"Good idea." Emma nodded.

.

They managed to get to the archives without being spotted by Regina and immediately started looking through the numerous boxes.

"A lot of it is empty, the rest are the same pieces of paperwork with the date changing." Bella realized after a few boxes.

"That's probably because of the curse. Why do the paperwork for 28 years if every day is going to go the same way?" Emma suggested.

"True." Bella nodded.

"It'll make finding Belle easier." Graham commented.

"Well, we know there's little chance of being interrupted. Everything is so dusty, I'm sure nobody ever comes in here." Emma added.

"We just have to be careful not to be too noisy and attract attention." Bella nodded.

They kept on looking for a while, putting aside anything that could be useful and doing their best to put things back in place behind them, even though the traces in the dust showed that someone had been in there.

"Emma, do you think someone here knows who my mother is?" Bella asked her best friend.

"I don't know, we don't have much evidence right now."

"I know… I think I'll still ask Mister Gold, if anyone knows who she is, he will." Bella replied.

"What do you know about her?" Graham asked her.

"Nothing… There's nothing obvious in the book and all I have is a faint memory that sometimes resurfaces as a dream. A cruel laughter and magic. But even that is all very fuzzy." Bella replied.

"Could be Regina." Emma teased her best friend.

"Please don't joke about this, what if it's _her_?" Bella shuddered.

"I don't think it's possible, I remember hearing Regina and her father talk once. She apparently cursed herself so that she'd never have children." Graham informed them.

"Why would she do that?" Emma asked, curious.

"Because her mother wanted her to have heirs, so she did it to hurt her mother." Graham explained.

"That's twisted." Bella shook her head, not imagining doing something like this to herself.

"That's Regina for you." Graham commented.

"It looks like she regrets it though. I mean, she did adopt Henry, which shows she has some mothering instinct buried somewhere. Anyone with mothering instinct can't be that evil." Bella added.

"What about Mother Grethel from Tangled?" Emma smirked.

"She's the exception. Still, I don't think that Regina is unredeemable. I've got a feeling that deep down, she wants to have a chance of being good and happy but she's afraid of being hurt again, so she acts strong to protect herself." Bella insisted.

"It must be buried very deep." Emma whispered, her hatred of the woman who had her son and had attacked her as soon as she had arrived in town was stronger than any compassion she could feel right now.

.

They looked for a couple of hours but, once they realized that they would find nothing this way, they discreetly left the town's hall and went their separate ways. On her way to Granny's for lunch, Bella walked pass Mister Gold's shop and came in.

"I was about to close up." He informed her.

"I'll be quick, I just have a question for you." She said apologetically.

"Sure, ask away Miss Swan." He nodded.

"Do you have any idea of who my mother could be?"

"What do you know about her?" He asked her, willing to help the young woman who had brought him hope again.

"Not much actually. There's nothing in the book and the only memory I have is one that sometimes comes back in dreams, a cruel laughter, and dark magic. It's a bit fuzzy though so even if I could show it to you with magic, you wouldn't get much. Even her laughter is clouded by everything else." She replied.

"Unfortunately, that could be a lot of different women I've crossed over the years from Ingrid to Regina, including about a dozen more." He shook his head.

In his head, Gold was remembering every female villain he had met or made and tried to find a resemblance with Bella in each one of them. Maleficent, Cruella, Ursulla, Regina, the blind witch, Zelena, Cora, The Red Queen of Wonderland, the dark fairy, Bo Peep… Witches, sorceress, fairies or even simple human woman who were really mean or wicked or both and didn't need magic to be terrible villains. He wanted to help her but he couldn't see a resemblance between any of them and Bella at the moment. Maybe she took everything from her father.

"It's okay, I didn't think you would but I had to at least try."

"I understand but are you sure that you want to find her?"

"I believe that nobody is completely evil, there's always at least a spark of goodness just begging to be light on fire in anybody. I don't know what my mother did that was so bad, or why it was so terrible that he had to send me away but I have to at least give her a chance to make it up. Everyone deserves that chance." Bella smiled.

"I hope my son feels the same way you do when I find him." Gold shook his head.

"If he doesn't I'll try to change his mind. It all depends on how we present things to him. And who knows, maybe he'll be willing to come. I can sense that you'll have the chance to tell him those three words you want him to hear and I have a good feeling that he'll say them back eventually." Bella promised.

"I hope you're right." He smiled.

"My feelings are rarely wrong." She smiled.

.

Bella made her way to Granny's where she ate her lunch at the counter, sharing a conversation with Leroy, aka Grumpy, before going to the park to write a little. She didn't see time pass and soon, it was time for her to get ready for her date. She tried not to be too nervous, after all, she didn't even know if he'd show up or not. If he didn't show up, she'd go to the sheriff's station and spend her evening investigating Belle's location with Graham while Emma ate dinner with her parents.

At 7:30, Bella was already sitting in a booth, a soda in front of her. She was playing Candy Crush on her phone, figuring she'd have a while to wait when she felt someone sit in front of her.

"I told you I'd remember you." Will declared as soon as she looked up.

"So it seems." Bella smiled, putting her phone away.

"Was I interrupting important texting or something?" he asked her.

"No, just a game of Candy Crush." She shook her head.

"I see. So, how are you liking our little town so far?" Will asked her after ordering his own drink.

"I like it. It's small, quiet, and full of hidden stories to be uncovered and told. The kind of place where I can see myself settling." She smiled.

"Ha, yes. I've heard that you were a writer. I have to say that I've never read your books, I'm not much of a reader myself. I tend to wait for them to be adapted into a movie." He confessed.

"Well, maybe someday, who knows." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

.

While Bella was having simple conversation and fun with Will Scarlet, Emma was nervously getting ready at Mary-Margaret's place. David was about to arrive and her mother was making dinner for the three of them. Emma tried to concentrate on the present, she didn't want tonight to be the night where she told them how angry she was at them for giving her up, for the life she had had.

If they had kept her, she wouldn't have met Bella or Neal, Henry wouldn't exist. That's what she had to keep in mind, that even though she wished things had gone differently, she wouldn't have Henry or Bella in her life if they had and she couldn't imagine a life without Bella in it.

As she stood in front of the mirror to set her hair, Emma realized something: She was a princess.

Her mother was a princess, technically a queen since her father was dead and Regina was evil and didn't count and her father was a prince as well. She was a princess and she couldn't believe it. She was never the kind of girl who wanted to become a princess and dreamt about the perfect prince or knight in charming armor to defend her. She had learned early on that life wasn't a fairy tale and that she'd have to save herself without expecting anyone else to do it for her. Bella had barely managed to get her to believe that hope wasn't for suckers and now she opened her eyes to the fact that her parents represented hope in the fairytale world.

"I better not have to wear a crown anytime soon." Emma muttered.

She firmly believed that she didn't have a head fit for a crown. When she was a teenage girl, with Bella, shortly before they senior Prom, they had gone to a store and tried on several crowns. If Bella looked like every single crown they had tried was made just for her, Emma felt weird with it on her head. Of course she looked pretty, every girl looked pretty with a crown, but she firmly believed that it didn't belong there.

"Are you ready Emma? What's wrong?" Mary-Margaret asked, entering the room and noticing the frown on Emma's face.

"Just thinking that I was never the kind of girl who wished she was a princess. I hope I won't ever have to wear a crown." Emma replied honestly.

"I'm sure you'd look lovely with a tiara on your head but don't worry, tonight is casual." She joked, making Emma chuckle.

"David should he here soon."

"I'll be down in a minute, I just need to calm my nerves first." Emma replied and Mary-Margaret nodded before she left the room.

A couple of minutes after her mother left the room, Emma heard the doorbell ringing and David's voice greeting Mary-Margaret.

"It's now or never Emma, be strong, be brave." Emma told herself, feeling like she was trying to speak herself into facing a dragon rather than simply meeting her father.

"Emma, here you are! David's here." Mary-Margaret declared when she saw Emma walking down the stairs, knowing that Emma could see David on her own.

"Hi." Emma greeted shyly.

This wasn't just David Nolan anymore. He wasn't the coma patient who had woken up and that she had found later. He wasn't her friend. No, he was her father, the brave man who had fought against several black knights with her in his arms to get her to safety. He was her father.

"Emma… I… I'm so happy to see you." He replied before hugging her and even if he didn't remember everything, just like Mary-Margaret, she liked that he tried to give her a bit of the closure she needed.

"Why don't we start eating?" Mary-Margaret suggested, hoping things would go smoothly.

"Sure, I'm starving." David nodded and Emma followed them to the table.

"I… I'm not sure where to start… This is weird." Emma stated.

"Why?" Mary-Margaret asked her.

"Because you accept and know that you're my parents because you've seen it in the book and you believe in the book but you don't really remember me, your feelings when I was born…" Emma tried to explain.

"Not yet, but we will as soon as you break the curse. Still, I want to get to know you better until then." David replied.

"I was so angry at you… for so long…" Emma shook her head unable to let it out.

"Because we sent you away?" David asked her.

"All I knew for all of my life was that my parents gave me away. I wasn't even brought to a safe place, I was found in the woods… Growing up knowing that your parents didn't want you and didn't even care enough to drop you off at a hospital, that leaves a mark on you." Emma told them, trying to stay calm.

"You used the past tense. Does this mean that you're not angry anymore?" Her mother asked her.

"More like, I know you did what you believed was best for me, so I'm trying to be okay with it." Emma replied.

"I can't say that I really remember everything, not yet but according to what we know, it was for the best… if we had kept you with us, you would have been cursed with us." Mary-Margaret argued gently.

"But we would have been together, which curse is worst?" Emma asked her mother.

"Well, at least we're together now and we can try to figure out a way to break this curse. Do you have any idea of how you can do it?" David asked her.

"Well, Graham got all of his memories back after I kissed him but…" Emma tried to hide her blush.

It was wrong of her to speak of kissing a guy in front of her father right?

"But?" David asked her, not feeling the fatherly over protectiveness yet.

"I can't really go on kissing everyone around town. Bella believes that it worked on him because I'm the product of True Love but in order to break the curse in one kiss it would have to be a real True Love kiss." Emma replied.

"So you have to with until you fall in love with Graham?" Mary-Margaret asked her.

"I guess so, I'm not sure… Right now we're trying to get Gold, Rumpelstiltskin, on our side by reuniting him with his love Belle. We think that Regina has her hidden somewhere. Once we have Belle freed, he'll be on our side and that will be a good step forward." Emma explained.

"You have to be careful though, he's dangerous." David warned her.

"We know, don't worry. But Bella believes, and she's rarely wrong, that if we give him Belle and get hi to think of us, or at least her, as his friends, then if he ever falls back into his old dark magic habits, he'd be less inclined to hurt us. Maybe he'd even help us without asking for anything in exchange." Emma explained, knowing that she could trust them completely.

"That's not bad thinking." Mary-Margaret nodded.

.

After their dinner, Will took Bella out on a walk around town and, on the way, they walked pass the Library.

"Why is it closed?" She asked him curiously.

"Not really sure. Mayor Mills shut it down a while back, but I don't remember why." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Of course Bella knew why. Books gave hope and any of these books could have given someone hope for a happy ending Regina had taken away. This Library was, somehow, important and Bella was determined to have it open again as soon as she could. Of course first they'd have to free Belle and break the curse but Bella would have it open again to the public, even if it ended up costing her everything she had.

"What's wrong?" Will asked her.

"Nothing, I just don't like seeing a library closed. It's sad. Every town should have an open library." Bella replied with a small smile while Will kept on walking taking her in the general direction of the docks.

"So, did you like eating at Granny's? We could have gotten dinner somewhere else." Will asked her.

"I love eating at Granny's. I could eat every meal of everyday here for the rest of my life and die happy. It's like eating every meal at your cool grandmother's place." Bella replied.

"Don't let her hear you say that or she'll be an even bigger fan of yours." Will chuckled.

* * *

 _ **Review please?**_

 _ **We're getting close to the last of the old rewritten chapter, I think after next chapter it will be all new chapters.**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 9:**

The next few days went by quietly.

Bella had gone on a couple more dates with Will but though they had fun, she knew that it was going nowhere. The one kiss they had exchanged felt weird, like when you try kissing one of your friend that's almost like a brother to you and you realize that you felt nothing but awkward. They were still friends, or friendly, but they wouldn't date anymore. It wouldn't lead anywhere and Bella wanted a relationship that would lead to something serious.

There was still no news on Belle but they were planning on collecting the data the bug on Regina's car had collected the next day. For now, Emma was going to buy some ice cream for Henry, Bella and her. Henry was waiting for them at the park and Bella was supposed to meet Emma at the Ice cream parlor so they could join Henry together. This way, if Regina was spying on them, it would look like they got it for themselves, to share during a friendly walk.

When she arrived, Bella saw Emma wavering and being caught by a blond woman in an apron, obviously the sales' lady.

"What happened Emma, are you okay?" Bella asked her immediately.

"I'm fine Bells, I just felt light headed for a moment. I feel much better now." Emma smiled, accepting the spoon of Rocky Road that the sales' woman whose name tag read _Sarah_ handed her.

"Are you sure you're okay? Feeling light headed isn't usual for you." Bella insisted.

"She probably just didn't eat enough earlier. She's fine now." The sales woman replied before Emma could say anything.

Bella was about to say something else but the woman, Sarah, cut her off and gave them the ice cream they had come to get.

"She's weird, I think she'd hiding something." Bella commented once they left.

"Who isn't hiding anything in this town?" Emma replied, shrugging it off.

Even though Emma didn't feel it, Bella could tell that there was something different with this woman. She wasn't just an innocent ice cream sales' lady, she might not even be innocent. Bella wanted to check her out, to dig a little bit in the woman's past but it wasn't the priority now. She had helped Emma believe, now she had to help her keep faith and find a way to break the curse, Bella would check that woman out later, once the curse was broken.

.

Sarah Fisher, as people knew her in Storybrook, wasn't a happy woman. Not only did Emma push her away and treat her like a crazy woman, just like she had done all these years ago, but Bella, her new enemy, arrived and stole her thunder once more. Emma was supposed to be her sister, not Bella's. She was Ingrid, the Snow Queen and she wasn't about to let a simple woman take away everything she had worked so hard for for the past 28 years.

As soon as she had her magic back, she'd get rid of Bella, kill her and make sure everyone would forget her existence. Maybe even sooner if the opportunity arrived. She just needed to find a way to get rid of her while staying in the shadows and not being caught.

 ** _.The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _Ingrid was bad news, I knew it but I didn't have a choice at the time but to give her what she wanted in order to get my hat back. I have to believe that Bella and Emma will be able to handle her, to let her see the truth._

 _It wouldn't be easy of course but they are close to finding Belle and with the Dark One on their side, they'll find a way to resolve this, I just hope that Ingrid holds herself back and doesn't try to hurt my baby before they have what they need to help her. Maybe Rumpelstiltskin will even give them the urn that holds Elsa. If he doesn't, I'll have to remember to free her once I'm out of here._

.

After their little moment in the park with Henry, Bella and Emma walked back home only to cross a biker.

"I thought Henry said that nobody new ever came in town, except for us because we're special?" Bella asked Emma.

"Maybe he was always in town." Emma suggested.

"I'm pretty sure I would have noticed him if he was." Bella replied with a small blush, reminding Emma that she had always liked bikers.

"Maybe he's special, like us."

"Maybe we should talk to him and try to find more about him." Bella insisted and Emma nodded.

"I have to go meet Graham for dinner." Emma replied, looking at her watch.

"You go then. This newcomer is probably going to stay at Granny's. I'll try to talk to him and I'll tell you what I found later." Bella offered.

"Don't you have a date with Will?" Emma asked her curiously.

"No, I canceled. I've been on 3 dates with him and I know that it's not going to go anywhere, so why waste our time?" Bella replied, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry. I hope you'll find the right one."

"Don't worry, I'm sure I will at some point." Bella replied with a small smile.

"I hope so, I feel bad having found someone to love while you're still looking." Emma confessed.

"I know you do but you shouldn't. I'm fine and I'm happy for you, you deserve love, especially since I know that Graham won't leave you anytime soon." Bella replied.

"I really like him. It's weird to know that he was already an adult when I was born but I try not to think about it too much. He makes me happy." Emma told her.

"It's all that matters. Speaking of making you happy, how are things with your parents?" Bella asked her.

"Well, David now lives with us and he does his best to get to know me. In a way I feel closer to him than I do to Mary-Margaret."

"Well, it happens. You're a daddy's girl." Bella joked.

"He's just… more like me, I guess. He thinks like I do and we have a lot in common. It makes me wish I had grown up with them." Emma explained.

"If you had, you'd probably be wearing a princess' dress right now." Bella chuckled.

"Maybe it's a good thing that they put me in the wardrobe then." Emma replied, chuckling as well.

.

While Emma was on her date with Graham, Bella went back to Granny's and noticed the motorcycle parked in front of the Bed and Breakfast. Walking into the dinner, Bella didn't see anybody new so she decided to go and use the fact that Granny liked her to try and get her information.

"How is it going tonight?" Bella asked her.

"Same as usual. Can I get you anything?" The old woman asked, always taking time to speak with Bella when she could.

"A tea would be nice." Bella nodded.

"If you'd rather have something stronger, Ruby went to the White Rabbit again. I'm sure she'd love your company."

"Maybe later. Speaking of Ruby, I saw the motorcycle in front of the Bed and Breakfast. Is it hers?" Bella asked.

Of course she knew that it wasn't hers but she had to find a way to get the elder woman to confess what she knew without seeming to be prying for info.

"No, thank God. I don't know what I'd do if she ever came home on one of those. No, it belongs to our newcomer. He's in the room in front of yours. Quite handsome young man. I think he's just a few years older than you. Very charming though… Oh, if only I were a few years younger…" Granny declared and Bella smiled, amused by the old lady's mimics.

Bella took the time to drink her tea and then, when she was done, she went up to her bedroom and, taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door in front of hers.

"Hi! Sorry to bother you. I've heard that someone was staying in the room in front of mine and I wanted to say hello." Bella told the man who answered the door.

"Hello. I'm August. I was under the impression that I was the only one staying here." He replied, shaking Bella's hand.

"Yes, the town doesn't get many newcomers. I came here a couple of weeks ago to join my best friend Emma. She's staying with a good friend of hers and I decided to stay here. I'm a writer and it helps my inspiration. My name is Bella by the way, Bella Swan." She replied with a smile, dropping the hint about Emma to see if he knew anything.

"Bella Swan, the writer? I've read your books, yes. Love them." He told her with a smile.

"I'm glad you love them. I'm writing the next one right now. It keeps my busy when I'm not helping Emma…" Bella said and stopped before she told him more, wanting to see if he'd try to find out more about Emma.

"Helping her how?" He asked her.

"Oh, you know, this town is special and Emma has something important to do here. I'm helping her putting the pieces together, maybe even getting her son back."

"When assembling the pieces becomes too hard, it's sometimes enough to believe in magic for it to happen." He declared, a hint of something in his eyes that told Bella what she needed to know.

"You know. I don't know who you are here but you know." She told him with a smile on her face.

"So do you." He nodded.

"Maybe we should move this conversation somewhere else. My room? I have something you might want to see there." She offered, thinking of Henry's storybook that was now staying with her whenever they didn't need it. This way, Regina had little chances of getting her hands on it.

August nodded and followed her. Once she closed the door, they sat down on the armchairs that were in the corner of her room and she showed him the storybook.

"So, who are you, really. August might be the name you're using but it's not your real name." She guessed.

"Can you see this?" he asked her, lifting the bottom of his pants to reveal his right leg.

"It's wooden… You're Pinocchio? Seriously?" Bella asked him with a smile.

"I am." He nodded.

"I have to say, I don't know much about you. Your father appears in the book from time to time but there isn't much here about your story… Why aren't you with him? Why were you outside of town?"

"Before I tell you my story, if I was to show my leg to Emma, what would she see?" He asked her.

"The same thing as I do."

"So she believes then?"

"Yes, so does Graham, the Huntsman I mean, and her parents." Bella replied.

Then, August started telling Bella his story. He started with the part she knew, the one that was shown in the Disney movie of this world but he continued with his own story, the real one. For once, he was honest and he told her the complete truth, leaving only the part about him asking Neal to leave Emma alone and who Neal really was. When he was done, a couple of hours had gone by.

"So you're turning into wood because you didn't help Emma like you were supposed to do?" Bella asked him.

"Yes. As it turns out, I'm not very good at resisting the temptations of this world. Every time I tried to help her, I ended up doing more harm than good." He replied, shaking his head.

"How often was that exactly? You just spoke of the time you left her at the foster home to run away with the other kids." Bella frowned.

"There's one other time that I'd rather not speak of just now…" He replied.

"You just told me your story and confessed leaving Emma when you were supposed to stay with her and taking the spot in the tree that was supposed to be her mother's. Obviously you're still turning into wood, which means that you need to say more or do more." Bella guessed.

"I was truthful, now I need to be brave and unselfish." He nodded.

"Well, you can join me tomorrow, I'm going to help Emma and Graham find Belle so that Rumpelstiltskin can be on our side. Maybe helping us will do the trick." She suggested.

"That'd be nice. Thank you." He nodded.

"Why don't you join me for breakfast around 9 and after that we'll go to the station. I'll call Emma and tell her everything tonight, warn her." Bella informed him.

"Good, I'll leave you to your rest and your writing now. I need to get some rest myself. Turning into wood is quite tiring." He smiled and Bella wished him goodnight.

As soon as he was out of her room, Bella called Emma to tell her everything she had learned about the newcomer.

.

While Bella was calling Emma and telling her what had just happened, August was in his room, thinking about everything. The fact that Emma believed was a good thing, but he didn't get her to believe.

He knew that confessing to Emma everything he knew about Neal, Henry's father, would be for the best but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He wanted Emma to be his friend and he knew that she'd be angry at him if she ever learned that he was the one who convinced Neal to abandoned her to go to jail when he wanted to get her and leave with her.

How would he go back to being of flesh and bone without telling her the complete truth? He'd have to be extra brave but would that be enough? Would he ever be able to make up to her what he had done? Without his intervention, Emma would have kept Henry, she would have raised him with Neal and they probably would have been happy together. But Emma was happy now, Bella had told him that she was dating the Huntsman, so maybe she'd be less angry…

Suddenly, August interrupted this train of thoughts to think about his father. What would he think of him once he learned that he was changing back into wood? Could he even go and meet him now, knowing that he wouldn't remember him?

Blue had been very clear, if he wasn't brave, truthful and unselfish, he'd turn back into wood, maybe even for good…

What would he do?

 ** _.The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _Pinocchio is one of the people I like the most. He's weak, in a very human way, but he's also capable of great things. I believe that my daughter can help him do the right thing. He probably won't admit to what he did concerning Emma and Neal before a while but I believe that he'll try to make it up to her. He'll do his best to help her break the curse and I hope he'll find a way to stop his own curse._

 _Of course I could free him from the curse, so could the Dark One and Bella will probably be able to do it too once the curse is broken and Rumpelstiltskin brings back magic. Emma probably could too, all she'd have to do is to take his hands and wish it. We'll have to see if August earns it or not._

 _Once I'm reunited with my daughter, I'll help him but until then, he'll have to try and do it on his own._

 _I'm not sure I agree with what he did to get Neal away from Emma but I know that she's happier now with Graham that she would have been with Neal. Things happen the way they do and there's nothing we can do to change that._

 _Once again, Blue did something that I don't approve of. Who is_ _ **SHE**_ _to demand of someone to be brave, truthful and unselfish when she was the opposite of these things? I couldn't wait for the moment I'd be able to put her back in her place for good. She had lots of things she needed to answer for, starting with Pinocchio and including Nova, Tinkerbell and even Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire._

* * *

 ** _Review?_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 10:**

The next morning, Bella waited for August at the breakfast table and when he showed up, 10 minutes late and with the excuse that his wooden leg had delayed him a bit, they ordered.

"So, what was your plan to get Emma to believe?" She asked him.

"Well, I was thinking of getting the Storybook and adding my story in it, leaving the last part out. It would have gotten Henry curious and he would have gotten Emma on my trail. I was going to do this very slowly, with a bit of mystery. Try to get her interested, intrigued. I didn't think you'd have been able to come with her." He explained.

"Well, apparently my father is the one who wrote this book." Bella replied before showing him the picture she had taken of the last page of the book, the one who spoke of her.

"It can't be the author. The last author was punished by the sorcerer and his apprentice a few months before the curse was cast and sent somewhere, locked away. I don't know who wrote this one but it can't be him." He explained, telling her everything he had learned about the author before coming here.

"But who could have been able to do it?" Bella asked, feeling a bit depressed about having more questions about her father's identity.

"I don't know. Maybe the sorcerer, or his apprentice. Or someone else that works for them, or knows about their work. I mean, I could write a book like this now that I know everything… I guess it could be anyone. Maybe they even have a new Author and he's your father… there's no way of knowing right now." August shrugged his shoulders.

"Great, more questions." Bella mumbled.

"Sorry, I wish I could be more help…" he apologized.

"It's not your fault. It's just frustrating sometimes to see Emma slowly connecting with her parents while I don't even know who mines are."

"I know." He nodded, thinking of his father and hoping he'd cross him in town.

They were quickly done with their breakfast and went to the sheriff's station, taking August's bike. When they arrived, two kids were sitting on chairs in front of an upset looking Emma and Graham was arguing over the phone.

"Hey, what's going on?" Bella asked Emma, quickly introducing her to August.

"They shop-lifted. Mister Clark called and I answered the call. Henry was there so Regina picked him up and since they apparently have been living on their own, she demands that we send them to Boston, in the Foster system but they'd be separated." Emma explained.

"Isn't there any other option? We can't send them away from here Emma… The curse won't let it happen." Bella argued.

"I know… Right now we're trying to find a solution, Graham is on the phone with Regina and I think she knows or is about to find out that his heart is gone. She'll know I had something to do with it and go after me again, maybe even you." Emma replied.

"Do you know who they are, in the book I mean." August asked her.

"Henry said they were Hansel and Gretel, which makes sense. I just don't know where to look for their father." Emma shook her head.

"After the history Regina has with these two in the book, I think it's safe to say that she probably erased their existence from their father's mind." Bella shook her head as well.

"There has to be a way to find him." August argued as Graham hung up.

They followed him in his office, leaving the two kids alone, handcuffed to the chairs so they wouldn't run away again. Bella quickly introduced August to Graham.

"I think Regina is going to try and go look for my heart, it won't take her long to realize that it's gone and has been replaced by a random one we found in her vault." He explained.

"How can we find their father?" Bella asked.

"I'm not sure but we have to do something, we can't let them go to Boston." Emma insisted.

"Okay, I have an idea. I'll go see if Gold can help me with it. Until then, you three try to locate their father." Bella declared suddenly.

"What are you going to do?" Graham asked her.

"It's a long shot but I'll try to see if Gold has any legal way to allow them to stay here, like with me or something. If he can, then I'll look for a place to rent. It's all until the curse is broken and their father finds them again anyway." Bella replied.

"Good idea. August and Emma can look for their father and look after the kids while I collect the bug we placed on Regina's car and examine the data." Graham decided.

Everyone nodded and started to go their own way.

.

Bella arrived quickly at the pawnbroker's shop and came in, glad that there was no one else inside.

"Miss Swan, we're making these visits a daily habit." Gold said with a pleasant smile when he saw her.

"I need your help." She said after greeting him.

"What is it?" He looked serious and truly willing to help so Bella quickly explained the situation.

She started by mentioning that Pinocchio was in town and what his condition was and quickly moved on to the subject of Hansel and Gretel and what she wanted to do to help them.

"Well, I'm sure I could do something in a couple of day and find a way to delay Regina sending them off until then, but wouldn't you rather just reunite them with their father?" he asked her curiously.

"Of course, but we don't know where to look for him. They have no memory of him and we might just have to wait until the curse breaks to reunite them." Bella shrugged her shoulders, resigned.

"Except I know exactly who he is in this cursed life and where to find him. He works at Merrin's Autorepair." Gold replied, immediately giving her the name.

Smiling, Bella quickly called Emma and told her what Gold had just informed her of and, while Emma and August were trying to convince the man that he had children and was their only chance of staying together, Bella promised Gold that she would keep him informed if anything they'd find on Bella and joined Graham at the station, hoping to find something to do to help him.

.

"Finding anything?" Bella asked Graham, handing him a hot cup of coffee as she joined him.

"Not much right now. Except that Regina visits the hospital quite often for someone in her excellent health. She's almost never sick and neither is Henry. I don't see why she goes there so often…" Graham shook his head.

"Yes, it's a bit weird. Anything else that could be strange?" She asked him.

"Not really, she mainly goes to Granny's, the school, the city hall, her house… Her vault once or twice a week. Her visits to the hospital are the only things that don't make sense, especially since she mostly stays there about half an hour." He replied.

"Maybe that's where Belle is, maybe she's keeping here there. She might be in a coma or something…"

"How do we find out where she is exactly? It's not like we can search the entire hospital…" Graham shook his head.

"Gold might have an idea on how to look, I'll call him and ask him to join us here this afternoon, I know he'll come. We'll probably be able to get an idea on how to look into it, maybe he can pull the financial record and see a trail or something on them. You can't exactly ask for them or Regina would know that something is up." Bella told him before she took her phone out and called Gold, asking him to come in the afternoon.

"Why not now?" Graham asked her, confused.

"Because it's almost lunch and Emma should be back soon with August, she just texted me that the kids were with their father. Apparently, August helped convince him to give them a chance. We'll get lunch together and start looking at everything we have on the hospital until Gold arrives with everything he has." Bella explained.

"You're right." Graham nodded.

"I'll go and get take out for us at Granny's and be back as soon as I can." Bella told him with a smile before he left.

.

Regina was furious in her office. She was sure that it was all because of Emma. Graham was now out of her reach and somehow, even ordering his heart around wasn't enough. Maybe Emma's kisses helped him resist her, that had to be it. Without hesitating, Regina frowned and slowly crushed the heart in her hand.

If she couldn't have Graham under her control, then nobody would have him. He failed in the mission she had given him a long time ago, now he was hers and she could do whatever she wanted with him. Nobody would be able to trace that murder back to her and she'd be fine. Now she just needed to find a way to keep her stubborn son away from the Savior.

.

While they ate their lunch at the station, August answered Emma's questions and seemed relieved to know that she had forgiven him for abandoning her when they first arrived in this land. She seemed to understand that he was just a boy and she didn't hold him responsible at all.

"What do you think Regina will do when she realizes that she can't control you with your heart?" August asked Graham.

"She'll probably think that me dating Emma has something to do with it and she'll crush the heart we place in my box to kill me and then she'll try to hurt Emma subtly enough that Henry stays on her side." Graham replied.

"Whose heart did you place in the box?" Bella asked.

"Someone who died a long time ago. It's one of the hearts she got from her mother." Graham replied, reassuring them.

"I'm not too worried about what she'll do against me right now. Let's concentrate on finding out how Regina is hiding Belle at the hospital and rescuing her. I called Mary-Margaret, she warned Henry and he knows to be careful and not to believe everything Regina tells him about us." Emma replied.

"How about the curse, do you know how you'll break it?" August asked Emma.

Blushing a little, Emma looked up at Graham, who blushed a bit too and they both looked down.

"Let's concentrate on one problem at a time. We'll see about breaking the curse once Belle is safe and Gold owes us." Bella intervened.

"So, how's your leg?" Graham asked August.

"I can feel that the progression of the wood has stopped, so that's a good sign, but it hasn't regressed yet. I have been truthful but I still need to be brave and unselfish." August replied.

In his head, he knew that he hadn't been completely truthful but was there a good way for him to tell Emma that he was the reason Neal left her to go to jail? That Henry's father was the Dark one's son, the one he wanted to look for and that Neal didn't want to see his father again? Wasn't the best solution to keep it all silent and let things happen?

"I'm sure the opportunity will arise." Bella smiled softly.

A while later, when Gold arrived with everything that he had on the hospital, they were more than ready to study everything until they had an answer.

"How are we even sure that this is where she's keeping Belle? She might simply be keeping another dark secret at the hospital." August asked.

"No, this is where Belle is, I can feel it." Bella shook her head.

"Never bet against Bella's instinct, she's always right. Last time I didn't listen to her, I ended up going to jail for someone else's crime." Emma replied.

"I did warn you not to sell the watches and to simply go to Canada with Neal." Bella remembered.

"Yes, well, I have a feeling that Neal wasn't exactly trust worthy anyway… Listening to you wouldn't have changed a thing, he would have left me anyway, I would just have ended up a single mother, that's all." Emma replied, showing everyone how hurt she still was by this part of her past.

"I take it that this Neal is Henry's father then?" Gold asked.

"Yes, Henry's father, my first real love… Definitely not the first one to let me down and betray me though." Emma replied.

After Emma spoke, Gold and Bella looked up at August and, for a second, thought they saw something there, maybe regret, but it was gone after a second and so they forgot about it, for now.

They spent about 2 hours looking through papers and, when Mary-Margaret and Henry came to join them after school, they had the beginning of an hint. Emma quickly introduced her mother and son to August and smiled when Henry smiled brightly at Pinocchio.

"So, did you find anything?" Henry asked.

"Yes, there seem to be an hidden level to the hospital, in the basement and it's receiving more electricity than a usual basement. Something's up in there." Graham replied.

"Cool, let's go." Henry exclaimed.

"You can't go with us Henry, it will be too dangerous." Emma argued.

"I can look out and run interference if Regina shows up." Henry argued back.

"He has a point there." Graham nodded.

"Fine, but you better be careful, kid." Emma nodded and, while they looked one last time at everything they had to know how they'd open the locked door, Henry approached his mother.

"So Emma, what can you tell me about him, you know, my father?"

Henry's question caught the attention of not only Emma, but also Bella, Mary-Margaret and August.

"I… He was…" Emma started to say and Bella could see that Emma was about to lie and so she caught her attention and shook her head.

"You're father… His name was Neal, I met him when I was 18 and finally out of the system. I stole the yellow bug and as it turned out, he had stolen it first and was sleeping in the back seat. We hit it off right away and, for a time, we were kind of happy until I found out that he had stolen some expensive watches and that people where looking for him. We had a plan. Sell the watches, use the money to get new identities and start over in Tallahassee… I went to collect the watches from where he had hidden them and went to sell them while he waited for me. He sold me out, I went to jail and never heard from him again except for the time I received the keys of the yellow bug. I guess he thought it would be a good apology." Emma explained, emotion tick in her voice.

"Oh Emma…" Mary-Margaret exclaimed, going to hug her daughter.

"Do you have anything of him? What was he like?" Henry asked, his voice less confident now.

"Well, he loved jelly doughnuts. And he gave me the swan necklace. It was a key chain he stole for me. I wear it as a reminder never to trust anyone ever again."

After she said this, August looked down, trying to hide his guilt.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." Henry spoke softly, putting his hand on Emma's arm.

"Don't worry about it, kid, you had a right to know. Here, you can have the necklace. It's well time I start trusting people again and it'll be something of your father you can hold on to. Just make sure Regina doesn't see it or she'll take it away." Emma told him, taking off her Swan necklace and placing it around her son's neck.

"Thanks mom!" Henry exclaimed, hugging her and surprising her by calling her 'mom'.

"It will be something of my father's and something to let people know that I'm your son, because of the swan on it. Henry Swan would have been a great name." Henry added.

"Your father's last name was Cassidy, or at least that's the one he used back then." Emma told him.

"I think we're ready." Graham declared, grabbing a small bag from his office so he could use what was inside to open the door of the hidden basement.

"Let's go then." Emma nodded.

"I have to go and meet with David, but you'll keep me informed, right?" Mary-Margaret asked and Emma agreed.

* * *

 ** _So, what do you think?_**

 ** _Review?_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 11:**

They quickly arrived at the Hospital, taking 2 cars so they'd have the space to place Belle in if she was fit to leave the hospital.

"We don't even know who she's supposed to be in this town yet." Henry reminded them.

"We'll deal with whatever comes Henry. At least she won't be under Regina's control. We can be sure she's planning on using Belle against Gold at some point and freeing her is a priority." Emma replied.

"Henry has a point though, you might have to hold back when you see her, you wouldn't want to scare her if she doesn't remember you." Bella warned Gold.

"I know, you're right. As long as she's safe, I'll be happy. But be ready to remind me to step back when the time comes." The Dark One nodded.

"Of course." Bella replied with a gentle smile.

"Who would have thought that the Dark One would start trusting people?" August commented.

"Who would have thought the Dark One would fall in love?" Gold replied.

"Love isn't everything, you have hope. Maybe all hope isn't lost for you after all. I hope your son will see it when the time comes. Plus if there's hope for you, it means that there's hope for everyone." August told him, thinking that, maybe, later, he should tell Gold that he knew where Baelfire was.

"So do I." Gold muttered, wondering if August knew anything about his son and making a mental note to ask him about it later.

"Sheriff, what's going on?" Doctor Whale asked as soon as he saw them walk toward the locked door.

"Nothing that concerns you doctor Whale, go back to your patients and please let us do our job." Graham replied, continuing on his way.

Nobody noticed a passing nurse taking her cell phone out to text Regina a warning.

Going through the door took them a few minutes but eventually, it opened and they walked down the stairs. While Henry stood watch at the top of the stairs, Graham warned the nurse at the desk to stay in her place unless she wanted to be arrested for interfering with an official investigation. Emma, Bella, August and Gold started opening the window of every locked door to see which one held Belle inside.

"Here, that's her." Gold nodded after 7 rooms.

A lot of the other rooms were empty, others had truly crazy people in it and Belle seemed to be the only one who was sane and calm. She simply looked bored.

Bella and Emma opened the door and slowly walked toward the young woman. Belle didn't recognize Gold, or anyone, and was confused. She didn't remember anything besides being locked in this room. She said that sometimes a woman in a pant suit visited her, never speaking, only staring with satisfaction, and the description did match Regina's.

"Do you think we can arrest Regina for holding Belle prisoner?" Bella asked Emma.

"I doubt it, she probably has everything covered to prevent that but I'll look into it anyway." Emma shook her head.

"Let's get her checked out." August suggested and they nodded.

"I'll get the book, maybe it'll help her remember." Henry suggested happily when Doctor Whale was checking Belle out.

"Don't bother, we should do this later, away from potential spies of Regina's." Bella replied.

"Do you think the book will work on her?" Gold asked Bella.

"It should. Right now she doesn't have any memories, she's a blank page. The book should help her fill it and it would be best that we used it before Regina has time to fill her head with other memories. Once she remembers who she is, kissing you, Mister Gold, should be just enough True Love's magic to giver her all of her memories back." Bella replied, confident that it would work.

Physically, there was nothing wrong with Belle and she was able to leave the hospital so they took her with them when they left, planning on going to Gold's house to explain everything to her.

"What is going on in here?" Regina suddenly barked, surprising them all.

Bella moved so she was hiding Henry who, thankfully, ran away without being seen by his adoptive mother. Gold also moved, going to stand in front of Belle so he could protect her in case Regina had anything planned.

"What are you talking about Madam Mayor?" Emma asked innocently.

Regina was looking at Graham incredulously. She had crushed his heart, he couldn't possibly still be alive right now.

"And be careful at what you answer, don't forget that I'm still the sheriff of this town and I'm not opposed to arresting the Mayor." Graham added, stepping closer to Emma.

"I see… I don't know how you did it Miss Swan but you're all going to pay for this, I swear you will. Nobody takes what's mine and lives to tell about it." Regina replied harshly with a glare before she turned around and went back to her car, cell phone already in her hand.

"I hope she doesn't hurt Henry to get her revenge." Bella whispered.

"She better not." Emma added.

After this, they all made their way to Gold's large house.

"Henry texted me, he's safely back home and Regina doesn't seem to be suspecting anything." Emma declared as they parked in front of the house.

"Good, at least we don't have to worry about that." Graham nodded.

They were all about to come inside the house, Gold had already opened the front door and let Belle inside, he was about to follow her, when another car parked and Sydney Glass ran out of the car, gun in hand.

"Wow, what are you doing Sydney? Don't do anything you'll regret!" Graham exclaimed, moving to stand in front of Emma while August went to move in front of Bella, deciding to forget about his fears.

"You're the one who's going to regret it Sheriff. You had it all, you had her and you betrayed her, you'll pay." Sydney yelled before he fired the gun in the general direction of Graham.

As soon as Sydney had fired the shot, August moved to get between Graham and the bullet. He couldn't let Emma lose someone else she had grown close to, he needed to do his best to protect her heart and at the moment, that meant jumping in front of a bullet to protect her against heart ache and loss. He was hoping that saving her present love interest's life would help him make up for his role in her losing Neal.

"August!" Bella screamed when the man fell on the ground, holding his shoulder while Emma and Graham rushed to arrest Sydney before he had time to escape.

"I'm calling an ambulance." Gold declared immediately.

"How is he doing?" Graham asked as he forced Sydney Glass to seat down in the patrol car.

"I don't think it's serious. He's bleeding but he'll be fine." Bella replied, fighting the tears of fear that threatened to fall.

"My leg." August whispered to her.

"What about it? Did you hurt it when you fell?" She asked him.

"Look." He insisted so, lifting his pants a bit, Bella cried out in surprise, seeing a normal human leg.

"I'm not wooden anymore." He smiled against the pain.

"Because you've been brave and unselfish. I know that you're still hiding something from us so you haven't been completely truthful, but you've been truthful enough." Bella told him softly.

"I'm going to bring him to the station, charge him for attempted murder. You'll be fine here?" Graham asked everyone.

"I'm going with August to the hospital." Bella declared.

"I'll stay here with the book and help Gold explain everything to Belle. I'll check on the two of you later." Emma told them.

"Maybe you should have your parents come over, it could help." Bella advised as the ambulance parked.

"You're right." Emma nodded, taking her phone off.

 ** _.The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _I knew that Pinocchio had it in him and I can't help but be proud of him. I was able to use his brave action to lift his curse, hoping that Blue wouldn't put it back on him._

 _Looking closer as he was settled in his hospital room, I couldn't help but notice the way that Bella was looking at him. Could she really be slowly falling for him? Could she be happy with August? I don't know if I should be happy or not. Surely he'll be better for her than that pathetic thief Will Scarlet but he's not the best either._

 _Then again, who'd be best for my daughter? A noble heart full of hope and potential for goodness, a powerful man capable of defending her against anything, someone courageous, brave, who'd love her more than his own life. Would August be capable of this?_

 _Quickly thinking of all the men I knew, I tried to find someone I wouldn't mind seeing with my daughter and it was hard to select someone. Maybe Lancelot, the loyal and brave knight but he'd never forget his love for Arthur's wife so that was a no go. I also couldn't help but think that, with her by his side, Arthur wouldn't have turned out so bad, he would definitely be worthy but he was taken and lived in another realm, so he wouldn't be the one for her either._

 _Shaking my head, I left the mirror a bit to go and get something to eat. I was a loving father, nobody would ever be good enough for my daughter, all I had to do was hope that she'd be happy and wouldn't end up broken hearted like she was after that horrible Edward Cullen had messed with her._

 _._

While Emma was doing her best, with the help of her parents and Gold, to help Belle remember, Graham was filling the paperwork to make sure that Sydney wouldn't be able to get out of jail anytime soon.

"I don't know what Regina has on you, but you need to stop doing her biding before it costs you your life." Graham told Sydney as he locked the cell.

"You're the one who's going to regret betraying her. Don't you see how lucky you are to have her affection? Miss Swan will never give you half of what Regina could have given you." Sydney argued.

"Regina was manipulating me and somehow she's manipulating you as well. The day is coming closer when Regina is going to get everything she deserves and she'll end up in a cell as well for everything she's done." The sheriff replied confidently.

"Regina is a queen and should be treated as such. She'll never fail, you're the crazy one for not staying by her side."

"Right, I forgot that you were in love with her. I hope you'll see that truth before the end or she'll end up being your downfall." Graham declared before he went in his office to do the paperwork he needed to do before his dinner with Emma and her parents at Granny's.

.

It took Emma a couple of hours to make Belle believe. Unlike Mary-Margaret and David, she had all of Belle's memories, she remembered everything and not only what was in the book, due to the fact that her mind had been completely blank first.

"I was on my way back to you, Rumple, but Regina found me and arrested me. She locked me up in her tower and I've been in there for… I don't know, feels like decades." Belle replied.

"It was decades. 28 years under the curse plus the year or so she held you before she enacted her curse." Gold replied, happy to have his love back.

"Until the curse is broken, you have to be careful not to call him Rumpelstiltskin, people can't ask too many questions, it would only anger Regina more and an angry Regina is a dangerous Regina. She would have already killed Graham if we hadn't gotten his heart back and exchanged it for someone else's." Emma told the young woman.

"I understand, maybe it would be safer if I stayed inside for the most part until the curse is broken, maybe go out at night only." Belle suggested.

"What about your father?" Mary-Margaret asked her.

"I don't think he knows about her in this cursed life." Gold replied.

"It's okay, I'll see him once the curse is broken." Belle smiled, happy to be free, away from her dark room and able to read and see new things.

"Graham just texted me, Sydney is locked up. Bella also texted she said that August is going to be fine." Emma informed them.

.

Indeed, at the hospital, Bella was keeping August company in the room they had given him for the night.

"You don't have to stay, you know. They said I'll be fine and that they'll let me out tomorrow. The bullet didn't hit anything vital." August reassured her.

"I know, I've heard but you shouldn't be alone. I'll stay with you a while, keep you company. Unless you'd rather be alone?"

"Of course not, I like having you here" August exclaimed, liking every minute he spent with the young woman who made him feel like there was hope for everything.

"You know, I've talked to your father once here." Bella told him to start a conversation that didn't concern bullet wounds.

"How was he? Happy?" August asked, concerned.

"I don't think anyone is truly happy in this town right now but I think he's happy enough. As happy as someone can be here. He's healthy too. Maybe you could meet with him before Emma breaks the curse and help him in his shop. I'm sure you'll find a reason to approach him." Bella suggested.

"Maybe you're right."

"I know you're afraid but he won't be disappointed that you left Emma. You were just a child, he placed a weight too heavy on your shoulders. He will understand that you didn't do it immediately and will be proud of the fact that you fixed your mistakes." Bella argued.

"You're right, I'll go and try to meet him as soon as I'm out of this hospital room."

"Good." Bella nodded.

Bella stayed about 2 more hours with August, keeping him company and talking about various subjects. She liked his company, he was nice to have around and she knew that he'd be a good friend, maybe even more if they let it be.

* * *

 _ **I hope you liked it.**_

 _ **What did you think? Tell me in a review!**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 12:**

When August was discharged from the hospital, Bella was there to drive him back to the Bed and Breakfast. There, they got lunch together, unaware that a few people were betting behind their back on whether or not they'd get together soon, before they went on a walk around town, hoping to run into Marco and have a reason to start a conversation with him.

"So, you've apparently been keeping an eye on Emma over the years. What do you know about me?" Bella asked him, curious.

"I know that you're her best friend, you've always been there for her, no matter what, which is more than I can say about me. You're smart and beautiful and full of light." August declared, making Bella blush.

"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked him shyly.

"I… Well, yes." He nodded with a smile.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me for stating the truth. Now, how are you doing? I know enough about you to know that you keep a brave face on but you have to be hurting inside." August guessed.

"What makes you think so?" She asked him.

"Emma has her parents and a boyfriend who loves her and whom she loves, even if she's not ready to admit it yet. You don't know anything about your mother and don't know where to find your father… It has to be hard on you." August explained.

"It is but I can't let myself think that way. I can't be envious of Emma. I know that my father loves me, that's already a good point. I know that I'll find my father eventually, that's what's important. I just need to be patient."

"What about your mother?" He asked her as they sat on a bench.

"Well, all I remember is dark magic and an evil laughter. It's all clouded, which makes sense since I was only a few days old when I arrived in this world. The surprise is that I actually remember something. I want to know who she is but at the same time, I wonder if it wouldn't be best if I never found out the truth… I guess I'll see when I finally meet my father." Bella told him.

"Do you know what you'll tell him the first time ever you see him?" August asked her.

"I'm not sure… I keep on changing my mind and I'm sure that even if I plan something to tell him, I'll say something else when I see him." She smiled.

"You're right." He nodded.

They stood once more and started walking, without any particular goals. Sometimes, Bella would make them stop and take her notebook out, writing down some notes for her next book. The description of a place, enhanced with a little bit of magic. August was in awe of Bella and of the way she saw the world. She saw it as it was and as it could be. She saw every single things at its best, even when it wasn't and it made him wonder if she could eventually become more than a friend to him.

"Bella, I was wondering… Do you think… Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" He asked her, suddenly nervous as he saw her in a new light.

"Of course, I mean, we're both already staying at Granny's anyway." She smiled, not understanding that he was trying to ask her out.

"No, I mean, someplace else. Like that charming Italian restaurant we walked past earlier. You know, just us." He replied.

"Oh… Are you… Are you asking me out on a date?" She asked him, surprised.

"I'm trying to, yes. So, are you accepting?" he asked her.

"I… Yes, of course. I'd love to. When?"

"Tomorrow? Would that be okay with you?" he asked her.

"Perfect." She smiled, happy.

"Good. Shall we?" He asked her.

They were now in front of the Ice Cream shop and he was suggesting they got some. Of course she nodded, she was never one to say no to ice cream, and so, once they had gotten their ice cream, Bella told him of what happened the last time she was there with Emma. She wanted to know if he, too, saw something weird in that moment or if it was just her.

"I can't help but feel like there's something off about that woman. I asked Graham to look in his records if he had anything on her but he found nothing. All I know is that her name is Sarah Fisher." Bella explained.

"Well, you should definitely listen to your instinct if it has never failed you before. I guess we'll see who she turns out to be once the curse is broken." August replied.

"It has failed me before." Bella whispered.

"Your instinct?" He asked her, surprised as they walked toward the park.

"Yes. Only once in my life. It failed to warn me about someone. I ended up in the hospital with a broken heart, a concussion and several broken bones because of it. I don't know why it didn't warn me about the danger like it did about anyone else but well… That's in the past now." She shook her head.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked her.

"He was my first big love, I was 16 and was eager to meet _the one_. I was a dreamer, even then and wanted a big epic and romantic love story. His name was Edward Cullen and he was handsome and mysterious. At the time, I thought that he was absolutely perfect. There was something about him that I couldn't explain, now that I know everything that is here, I think he was magical somehow… Anyway, he told me he loved me, made me feel like I had found a home with him and his family and he left me suddenly one day without warning me first. Before he left, he had gotten me in trouble with some people, he seemed to know them without knowing them, it was weird and the more I think about it, the more I think that they were probably like him, whatever he was. These people, James, Laurent and Victoria, they came after me, they attacked me to get to Edward. I don't remember much of it, mainly because I hit my head pretty hard and was in a coma for a couple of days but I think that not remembering this attack might be for the best." Bella told him, trying to stay calm as she did.

"He left you before you were attacked?" August asked her.

"No, he left me afterwards. I had barely woken up from my coma, I remember asking him what had happened, why I had a bite mark on my wrist, who had done that to me. I mean, I had my right leg broken in 5 different places, my left hand was broken in several places and I had bruises everywhere on me, there had to be an explanation. He didn't answer, he told me that James, Laurent and Victoria were taken care of and that I shouldn't worry about it anymore. Then he told me that he and his family were leaving, without me."

"Just like that?" August asked her.

"No, he added that he never loved me, that I was just a distraction for him, that I was worthless and would only bring him more trouble than anything else. He… He told me horrible things and I tried holding him back, telling him I loved him but he was extremely strong. He pushed me back, breaking a couple if my fingers in the process. I was heartbroken… It took me a while to recover, both physically and mentally. For a while I refused to eat or do anything, until a social worker allowed Emma to visit me, we were in different homes at the time. Emma helped me get better, she helped me find my will to live again." Bella explained.

"I'm sorry." August told her sincerely.

"It's all in the past now."

"What makes you so sure that he was magical?" he asked her.

"The scar I have from the bite mark, look." She replied before she showed him the scar she had on her wrist.

Slowly, she pulled her sleeved up and moved her bracelets to the side to uncover the scar.

"It's colder than the rest of your skin." He noticed after touching it.

"I know, a bit sparkly as well when in direct sunlight." She added.

"Have you shown it to Mister Gold? Maybe he knows what he was. I mean, he is the Dark One, so he has to know about some other evil creatures." August suggested.

"Maybe." She shrugged her shoulders, not sure that she wanted to know.

"Come on, let's go ask him now." August declared, pulling Bella in the direction of Gold's pawnbroker's shop.

"Now?" She asked him, following him.

"Of course, no time like the present." He replied.

 ** _.The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _Edward Cullen, the one person I hate more than anything and believe doesn't deserve redemption._

 _When I saw that my baby was in love with a Cold One vampire, that a few of them had found a way into her world and were trying to get her to not only trust them but love them as a family, I got angry but I figured that maybe they deserved a second chance as well._

 _Unfortunately, I didn't know that my daughter's magic took so much after me and that her instinct didn't warn her about them and the danger they presented. When they caused her to get attacked and broke her heart, my fury was unprecedented._

 _I didn't need magic to get to them, I called my apprentice to help me and we paid some mercenaries to help us since I couldn't get into this world. My Bella was still in the hospital, depressed and hurt and I desperately wanted them to pay. The mercenaries, under the command of my trusty apprentice, stormed their house with flamethrowers and killed the strongest ones of them, scaring the weakest ones into running away and returning to their world._

 _They had done more than break her heart, they had gotten her severely injured. I was glad that the one who had drunk her blood was dead but he had marked her and she'd forever have this scare on her wrist, magic would never be able to erase it._

 _After that episode, other Cold Ones Vampire tried to break into her world but I was prepared. I used my magic to move their portal so that it led on top of a burning volcano. This way my baby was safe and they died for what they were planning on doing when they crossed this portal._

 _I understand why they'd go after her, her blood would make them much stronger and give them magic but she'd have to die first and I couldn't let that happen. Never._

 _No-one will kill my baby girl, I'll kill them first, even if it darkens my heart in the process. It's worth it._

 _My daughter is worth all the sacrifices._

.

When Bella and August arrived in front of Gold's shop, he was about to close up for the day.

"Bella, August, please, come on in." he greeted them with a sincere smile that they could guess hadn't been seen often on his face or by many people.

"If you're in a hurry to leave, we can come back another time." Bella suggested.

"Not at all, what can I do for you?" he asked as Bella joined them.

"I thought that maybe you'd be able to help Bella with something from her past." August started.

"If I can I'll be happy to. What is it?" Gold nodded.

"I… Do you know who could have made this kind of scar?" Bella asked, showing her wrist to Gold.

"How are you still alive?" He asked her, shocked.

Going in the back room of the store, they all sat down and drank some tea while Bella explained to Gold what she had told August earlier.

"They are Vampires, Cold Ones vampires. They are immune to most magic and seek power. Thankfully there aren't many of them. I'm surprised they left you alive, they only do that when they're planning on coming back later. If they didn't come back for you, it means that someone killed them or that they went back in their world." Gold explained, handing Bella an old book he had on a shelf.

"Good, they deserve it." August declared.

"Can I keep the book for a while? I'll give it back when I've read it." She asked him.

"Of course. I hope it will answer all of your questions." He replied.

"I'm sure it will, thank you." She smiled.

.

Later that day, Bella met up with Emma before she got home and told her everything that had happened during the day from her coming date to August, which was a big surprise, to what she had found out about the Cullens.

"I'm sorry you had to relieve it Bella…" Emma told her, remembering how her friend was at the time.

"It's okay, I'm fine now. I'm actually kind of happy to know what they are and to know what this scar means." She replied.

"It means that you're a survivor." Emma smiled at her.

"Yes, it does. It means that you don't need magic to survive an impossible situation." Bella added.

"So, you and August… Tell me more about it." Emma smiled.

"There isn't much to tell yet." Bella blushed.

"But you've spent the entire day together and you felt comfortable enough around him to tell him all about Edward. Surely there is more to tell." Emma pointed out.

"Well, I do like him, and I could see some kind of happy future with us." She replied.

"You'd make a good couple but aren't you worried about him going back to being made of wood one day?"

"Well, I have to believe that if it happens, it'll end up getting better some day. If he becomes wooden again, it'll be because he did something wrong and making up for it will change it. Plus, as soon as magic is back, we'll be able to find a way to cure him of this ridiculous curse that forces him to behave better than any normal human does. I mean, making mistakes is natural, human. Forcing him to act perfectly isn't normal." Bella replied.

"You don't like the Blue Fairy." Emma stated.

"No, I really don't. I think there's more to her than what's in the book and once the curse is broken, I intend to find out." Bella nodded.

.

That night, Bella went to sleep reading Gold's book about Cold Ones. It wasn't exactly light reading and it forced bad memories back in her mind when she finally went to sleep. According to the book, the only reason a Cold One marked a human with his bite was when he wanted to find this human again in a few years, once it had grown up and matured a bit. The book also said that they never waited more than 10 years to get that human again and feed on them, killing in the process, so why was she still alive? Why hadn't they come for her?

She could only hope that they were stuck back in their own world and that they wouldn't change their mind and come back for her, especially since magic wouldn't help her against them. The Book also taught her something important about them: fire, real fire that wasn't created by magic, could hurt them, even kill them if it was strong enough.

Maybe that was why they didn't stay long in this world, because technology had created machines that could throw fire at people, at them. Who knew, maybe it had even been created to hurt them.

The book also noted that strong magical swords like Excalibur could be used to kill them. Well, maybe she'll be able to see it some day, right?

According to the book, the Cold One's world was named _Volterra_ , was very small and isolated from any other world. It had only one magic portal that could lead to different worlds if the right kind of people manipulated it. Only gifted Cold Ones could open them and they didn't chose where it landed in this world.

That night, Bella had nightmares. She spent her entire night seeing Edward and his family along with James, Victoria and Laurent. She was seeing her attack, the one she had forgotten during her coma. She was being bitten, thrown against a wall, walked on, hurt… They all talked about her like she was some sort of pet and for the first time, she was happy that Edward had left her. According to what she was seeing in her dream, they only wanted her because her blood could make them extremely powerful, if drunk once she's dead. If this was true, she needed to be careful not to cross any of them ever again. Maybe she should invest in a flame thrower?

Deep down, Bella was confident that her father had done something to keep the Cullen's away from her, that he was the reason they hadn't come back for her and she was grateful. She put it on the list of things she wanted to thank him for.

.

When morning came, Bella felt like she had barely slept. It was already 11 am and she had messages on her phone. She quickly texted Emma back that she had had a very bad night and went to shower.

"Bella, I was getting worried. You okay? You look like you partied all night." Ruby greeted her when she entered the dinner.

"I wish I had." Bella replied.

"Bad night?" Ruby asked her, serving Bella her favorite tea.

"I was haunted by old demons all night." Bella admitted.

"Well, hopefully you'll feel better for your date with the new hottie in town tonight."

"How do you know I have a date with August?" Bella asked her, surprised.

"Leroy heard him ask you out yesterday afternoon. He told me, wondering if I knew more about it." She explained.

"I guess you can't keep anything private in a town this small. And to answer your question, I'm sure I'll be fine." Bella told her.

"Well, you have all afternoon to take a nap." Ruby advised.

"I will. Until then, I'd love a burger, extra pickles and fries." Bella told her friend who chuckled and nodded.

.

By the time August knocked on her door, Bella had had the time to take a nap and get ready. August looked even more handsome than he usually did and Bella couldn't help but hope it would work between them. She felt a bit nervous but she did her best to hide it.

They walked together to the restaurant and had a great time, talking about anything that crossed their minds and laughing together. Once they were done eating, they went on a walk on the dock and enjoyed the night sky.

"I had a great time tonight, thank you." Bella told him with a smile once he walked her to her door.

"Me too. I really enjoy spending time with you Bella." He told her.

"Maybe we can do that again." She suggested.

"I'd love that. Maybe lunch tomorrow?"

"Sure, but Granny's this time." Bella replied.

"Great, I love Granny's food." He nodded.

"Good night August." Bella wished him.

"Goodnight Bella." He replied, watching her enter her room before he turned to his own door and went in his room.

He had wanted very badly to kiss her and did his best to resist, at least for now. He wanted things to work and so he needed to take his time.

* * *

 _ **What did you think of the way I introduced the Cullen's in there?**_

 _ **From now on, it's all completely new chapters that weren't in the first version, so feel free to review and tell me what you think of it.**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 13:**

"So, how was your date with August?" Emma asked Bella the next morning when they ate breakfast together.

"It was great, one of the best first dates I've ever had." Bella replied with a smile.

"You look happy." Emma noticed.

"I am. What about you and Graham? How are things moving?"

"Everything is great between us. I'm so happy with him… I've never been that happy with anyone since Neal. I… I might be falling in love with him." Emma replied.

"That's great Emma, I'm very happy for you. Maybe he'll be the one to help you break the curse." Bella replied, not telling Emma that she believed her friend to be already in love and not falling.

"Who knows." Emma smiled back.

.

Bella's morning passed quickly, she finished reading the book about Cold Ones, checked that she had written down all the parts she wanted to remember and went to give it back to Gold. Then, she spent a while talking with him before she finally joined August for lunch.

"So, what did you do this morning?" she asked him.

"I ran into my father, introduced myself as a newcomer in town. We talked quite a bit and I offered my help in his wood shop. I assured him that it would be free and he accepted. I'll go back this afternoon."

"That's great!" Bella exclaimed, unable to keep herself from holding his hand as she said so.

"Yes, I'm very happy about it. I was nervous at first but I did as you suggested and was simply myself. I can't wait until Emma breaks her curse so that he can remember me." August replied, a bright smile on his face.

"What can I get you two lovebirds today?" Granny came over and asked them before Bella could reply.

"I'll have a piece of your delicious lasagnas with some soda please." Bella decided.

"Right away. Lettuce on the side?" Granny asked her.

"Of course, usual dressing. You know me well, Granny." Bella nodded.

"What about you?" Granny asked August.

"I think I'll do the smart thing and follow Bella's move. I haven't tried your lasagnas yet but I'm sure it'll be as great as everything else is." He replied.

"A soda too?" She asked him.

"No, I think I'll take an Iced tea. Thanks."

"You're welcome. You two are my favorite customers, especially since you chose my dinner as a location for your second date. Today's meal is on me." The older woman decided with a smile before she turned around to get started on their orders.

"I like her, she's great." Bella commented.

"Especially since she's such a big fan of yours. This morning Marco told me that she's always talking about your books lately, trying to get people in town to read them." August revealed.

"Did he?" She asked him with a small smile, trying to imagine old Marco reading her book, which, let's face it, was no weirder than the Dark one doing the same thing.

"He ordered them and started on the first last night." August nodded with a small chuckle.

"Tell him I'll sign them if he wants." Bella smiled back, enjoying every moment she spent with August.

"I will. So, what are you planning to do this afternoon?" he asked her.

"I'm not sure, I guess I'll stop by the station to see if Emma needs anything and then I'll go find a quiet place to write." Bella replied.

"How is your next book coming along?" he asked her.

"Pretty well actually, this place just inspired me a whole new saga. I'll finish this book and finish the saga I started first though." She assured him.

"How will it end?" he asked her.

"Well, it always ends well." She smiled mysteriously, already knowing every detail of the ending she wanted.

"You're not even going to give _me_ a spoiler?" He asked her.

"Even Emma won't have one." She replied.

"But we're dating." He insisted playfully.

"Even if we were married I wouldn't tell you anything." Bella assured him, making him smile.

"I guess I'll just have to wait as patiently as I can until you release it… but I'm going to need help keeping my mind off it." He replied playfully.

"I think I can do that." Bella smiled before she bent over the table to allow his lips to meet hers in what would be as their very first kiss, at Granny's, over two warm plates of her lasagnas and not noticing Ruby taking a picture of the two of them as they kissed.

.

"Hey Emma, how is it going? Do you need help with anything?" Bella asked as soon as she entered the station.

"What I need is for you to tell me if you really had your first kiss with August on top of Granny's lasagnas. Seriously, you couldn't wait until you were someplace else?" Emma asked her.

"Wow, word really travels fast around here. Who told you? Don't tell me that your mother's blue birds are here and came to you with the message because that is one thing that I won't believe." Bella asked her with a smile.

"No, not the birds, though I'm curious now, i'll have to ask Mary-Margaret about them later. Graham told me. Apparently Ruby took a picture of it and sent it to Cinderella, I mean Ashley, to settle a bet they made. I guess it got around from here. Do you want a copy of it?"

"Sure, why not." Bella sighted.

"And to answer your first question, I'm going to spend the afternoon researching for a way to keep Henry away from Regina, to protect him from her. Well, I will unless something happens that requires my attention." Emma replied and that's only then that Bella noticed all of the books on Emma's desk.

"Where's Graham?" Bella asked, wondering why he wasn't helping his girlfriend.

"Out on a call. I'm keeping the fort." Emma smiled.

"Do you need my help?" Bella offered.

"Thanks but I'll be fine. It's all temporary anyway, right? As soon as I break this curse, Regina will be in trouble with everyone and I'll be able to take Henry home with me."

"Where will that be?" Bella asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother's loft isn't that big… You're already three living in there. Plus Henry… You'll have to share a room with him, that means no intimacy. And what happens when you and Graham decide to move in together? Does he move in with you all because you want to enjoy time with your parents or do you and Henry move in with him?" Bella asked her.

"I haven't thought about any of this… I guess we'll have to see. Maybe move in a bigger place all together… You're right, I need to speak with Mary-Margaret and David about this before anything happens." Emma nodded.

"Okay well, I'll let you think on it while I go and work on the last book of this saga. Call if you need anything." Bella told Emma before she turned around and left.

.

Bella wasn't sure where she was going. She knew that she should be writing and she even wanted to but she could feel that it wouldn't happen today. She felt pulled elsewhere and let her legs carry her to one of the most secluded part of town.

"Hi!" A man vaguely familiar said, appearing in front of her through some bushes.

"Oh, Hi!" She replied, surprised and amused at the same time.

"Sorry, I didn't want to surprise you, I just wanted to be able to speak to you when you're alone. I'm Jefferson."

"Oh, I see." She recognized him now, he was the Mad Hatter and if her instincts were right, he wasn't affected by the curse.

"I know that you know. And I know. And now you know that I know. We both know. And we need to talk about what we know." He told her.

"I see. Very well. If I know, then you'd be the Mad Hatter, right?"

"Right." He nodded, obviously relieved that she believed him.

"So, why did you want to talk to me?" She asked him.

"Maybe we should move this somewhere else? My house? It's not too far." He offered.

"Sure, why not. I'll just warn Emma if you don't mind." Bella knew that Emma would want to be warned and she'd feel better following someone called "mad" if she knew that someone knew where she was.

"Of course, here, I'll even give you my exact address." Jefferson nodded.

Not completely trusting him yet, Bella turned her GPS on so that Emma would be able to locate her in case anything happened to her.

Once inside his large house, Jefferson explained his story to Bella, the part she already knew and the parts that weren't in the book. When he was done, Bella understood that he had plenty of reasons to hate Regina and to want to get revenge on her. She really was a terrible woman to separate a loving father from his daughter.

"So, why did you want to talk to me?" She asked him, a bit confused.

"Regina took my hat and there's no magic here for me to make one. Except you and Emma, you have natural magic and you should be able to make one for me."

"A magical hat? One that opens a portal to multiple, just as magical, places?" Bella asked him.

"Yes." He nodded.

"I'm not sure I can… I mean, I don't mind trying, I'm actually very curious about it but there's no magic yet around here…" Bella replied, a bit confused as to how it would work.

"I need it! I can't stay here, I need to take my daughter and escape this horrible place with her. Take her far away where she'd be able to get her memories back and where we'll be able to be happy together." Jefferson exclaimed, his desperation showing in his voice.

"Listen, why don't you wait for Emma to break the curse? She already believes and though I don't know how she'll do it, I can tell that she'll break it soon. Then your daughter will remember you and you'll be together."

"But she'll remember that I left her, that I didn't keep my promise."

"And she'll understand that it was Regina's fault, that you did what you thought would be best for her." Bella smiled.

"I don't know… I'd feel better with my hat, being able to leave this place." He insisted.

"Fine, I'll help you. If it doesn't work today, I'll come back tomorrow. But I don't think we'll be able to see it work until magic is brought here." Bella warned him.

"At least I'll have the option once the curse is broken."

"But how will we know it's done right if there's no magic to check it?" Bella asked him.

"I think you'll know. You're special, I can tell it. You're even more special than Emma is. I don't know how but you are." He told her.

"If you say so… Let's try then." She smiled.

While Jefferson showed her how to make a hat Bella asked him:

"So, do you have any idea as to who my parents could be?"

"How would I know?" he asked her, surprised.

"You've traveled a lot, you've seen a lot of different places and people. Maybe you know something. I mean, you knew who I was."

"I knew because I've been spying on you and Emma every since you two arrived in town. I hear a lot, I see a lot. I don't know anything more than what I heard you tell the Dark One." He confessed.

"Oh… okay." She was a bit disappointed but she accepted it.

She had to be patient. She'd find her father eventually. Maybe even her mother. After all, she had been taught early on that all things came to those who waited, and she could be very patient.

It took Bella a lot of work but eventually, the next day, near the end of the afternoon, she had managed to make a complete hat. She had concentrated on believing in magic and on love the entire time she worked on it. August had come to spend the afternoon with her and Jefferson and his presence helped her concentrate on love and magic.

"It looks about right." Jefferson nodded.

"I think it should work, I mean, I believe it will and my gut feeling tells me that it will work but I doubt it'll work now and here." Bella replied, handing the hat to its new owner.

"I think you're right, I guess we'll just have to see once the curse is broken."

"Breaking the curse won't bring back magic." August argued.

"But Gold will bring it back at some point since he needs it to find his son." Bella added.

"What if the hat doesn't work even then?" Jefferson asked Bella.

"Then I guess you'll tell me and I'll just have to come back and try again. Don't worry Jefferson, we'll find a way. First, we'll reunite you with your daughter, then we'll concentrate on making this portal hat work." Bella told him, doing her best to convince him that she was right.

"You may be right… I guess all there is for me to do is wait now." He admitted.

"Don't worry, the wait won't be long now, I can feel it." Bella smiled.

August and her were going to get some dinner together and so she offered for Jefferson to come with them but he refused, assuring her that he'd be better off as far away from Regina as he could while staying in town. In the end, they ended up sharing dinner with Emma and Graham.

"So, have you found anything to keep Regina away from Henry?" Bella asked her best friend.

"Nothing legal, not while the curse is still unbroken. I hate this, especially since I know that he's not happy with her but there's nothing I can do… I just hope he understands." Emma replied, shaking her head.

"Of course he understands. Henry is one very smart boy." August replied.

"That's what I told her but I guess a mother will always worry." Graham added.

"What worries me is that Regina might catch on to what I was looking into and try to keep Henry away from me. That's something she has a right to do for now." Emma replied, her tone showing her anxiety.

"It won't last and whatever she does or say won't last long. Henry knows what's true and what's not. He knows who to trust." August told her.

"Yes, and he doesn't trust her, if he did, he would have never looked for you and insisted that you stayed. Henry's on your side Emma, he won't leave you." Bella added, knowing what was worrying her best friend.

"What worries me is that Regina could use him to hurt me." Emma whispered when someone she didn't know walked past the table.

You could never know who was working for Regina in this town.

"If she does, we'll be there to protect him. You're not alone Emma, we're all here with you, along with David and Mary-Margaret." Graham promised.

"Speaking about them, shouldn't they be here? I thought they were joining us tonight." Bella asked.

"They decided to spend the evening alone." Emma replied with a blush.

They all knew what "alone" meant and Emma, being their daughter, didn't want to think about it. They were all chuckling at Emma's embarrassment when the door of the dinner suddenly burst open and went to hit violently the wall behind it. Everyone in the place turned their head to see Henry in the doorway.

He had paused long enough to spot Emma and, once he had, he ran to her, looking panicked.

"Mom, Emma!" he called out, making her worry.

"Henry, what's wrong?" She asked him while August and Graham stood up, ready to act if anyone was trying to hurt him.

"It's Regina, she wants to lock me up until you leave town. I think she's planning on poisoning you, I saw her." Henry explained, speaking quickly.

Everyone in the dinner had heard him and looked shocked, worried or doubtful. However, before Emma could do or say anything, a shadow appeared in the doorway.

* * *

 _ **The good old cliffhanger... Who is the shadow? (come on, it's obvious, isn't it?)**_

 _ **Keep on reviewing.**_

 _ **Tell you what, if, in your review, you give me the name of whoever is in that shadow before I publish the next chapter (where that person will step into the light), I will answer ONE of your questions about this story, just name it in the review and if your answer was right I'll answer.**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 14:**

"Henry, what's wrong?" She asked him while August and Graham stood up, ready to act if anyone was trying to hurt him.

"It's Regina, she wants to lock me up until you leave town. I think she's planning on poisoning you, I saw her." Henry explained, speaking quickly.

Everyone in the dinner had heard him and looked shocked, worried or doubtful. Some were even commenting among themselves, not willing to believe Henry since Regina had made him out to be a liar with a great imagination.

However, before Emma could do or say anything, a shadow appeared in the doorway. Everyone turned to look and see who it was that came in such an intense moment only to recognize Regina. A very angry looking Regina with eyes that glared daggers at Emma and her little group.

Looking at Regina, the expression "If looks could kill" came to everyone's mind.

"I don't want any fights in here." Granny declared, getting out from behind the counter only to stand by Bella's side, stating clearly with this move whose side she was on.

"Shut it old lady, this doesn't have anything to do with you _yet_." Regina snapped, scaring Granny with that last word.

"Mom, don't let her take me please, I don't want to be locked up." Henry pleaded with Emma who nodded, determined to protect her son from the Evil queen, whatever the cost.

"Don't worry kid, you're not going anywhere." Emma promised him.

"You seem to forget that you abandoned him 10 years ago Miss Swan, you have no right over him anymore." Regina smirked, trying to pull Henry to her.

"And you seem to forget that I know the truth about you and I know that without what you did, I wouldn't have abandoned him." Emma glared back at her, hating being reminded of the way she had felt when she had had to give her baby boy up.

"What exactly is it that you think I did?" Regina smiled, feeling confident that she would win.

"You know exactly what you did now let Henry go, can't you see you're hurting him?" Emma snapped while Henry still tried to pull away from the queen who held him in an iron tight grip.

"If you don't let go now, I'll have to arrest you for child abuse and disturbing the public peace." Graham added, looking for any reason to lock Regina in a jail.

"I'm not doing anything." Regina replied calmly, never letting go of Henry.

"Yes you are, you're hurting me. You always lie to everyone and you're hurting me." Henry cried out loudly, making sure that everyone heard him.

If she was going to be stubborn, he was going to make a scene and embarrass her in front of everybody.

"Shut it Henry! After everything I've done for you, I can't believe you'd do this to me!" The mayor exclaimed.

"You did nothing, you don't even love me, you just want to win and now that you know that I know your secret plans, you want to shut me up so nobody finds out but it's too late, Emma and Bella will stop you. You lost!" Henry screamed, finally managing to free himself from Regina by hitting her in the stomach, and he ran right into Emma's arms while Graham went to stand between Emma and Regina.

"It's going to be okay Henry, don't worry. You're safe, I won't leave you again. I love you." She told him in a very motherly and reassuring voice before she kissed his forehead like only a mother could do.

Suddenly, a strong wave of the purest of magic escaped from this kiss, spreading rapidly across town until it hit the invisible town's limit, breaking the curse and giving everyone their memories back.

The first few seconds after it happened were completely silent and, suddenly, everyone was speaking at once, expressing their happiness at the curse being broken and their anger towards Regina, who fled the second she realized that her curse was broken. She had used Graham being distracted by Emma and Henry to run outside.

"She escaped! We need to catch her!" Leroy snapped.

"Don't worry, we'll get her. She can't go far." Emma promised.

"Emma's right, until magic is brought back, nobody will be able to leave the town, not even her." August added.

"But she was able to leave it to get me." Henry pointed out.

"Yes, but Emma broke the curse and it defeated Regina. Now she's trapped in town, just like anyone else she cursed." August replied.

"What about Emma and I? Not that we're planning on leaving… I'm just wondering." Bella asked him.

"You, Emma and even I could leave without any problem." August replied, holding her hand happily.

"I knew you could do it mom." Henry told Emma before he hugged her closer.

"Emma!" Mary-Margaret and David called out, running inside the dinner.

"You did it honey, you saved us all!" Mary-Margaret exclaimed, immediately hugging Emma, followed by David.

"I take it that you guys remember everything and not only what you saw in the book." Emma smiled.

"We do and we couldn't be any prouder of you. You saved us all." David replied with a proud smile before he hugged her.

"I'm going to try and locate Regina before she hurts anybody else." Graham decided.

"I'll come with you." Emma offered.

"No, you should stay here and celebrate with your family, you deserve it." Graham told her.

"Well, you're not going alone, not against her." Emma shook her head, not letting go of his hand.

"My brothers and I will come with you sheriff." Leroy offered.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked him.

"Of course Princess." He replied before getting his phone out and stepping outside to call his brothers.

"Princess? Why did he call me Princess? I'm not a princess, I don't want to be called Princess." Emma started to panic.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll stop if you tell him." Bella smiled.

"I hope so, I'm not the princessy type of girl. I don't mind if he goes back to calling me ' _sister_ ' like he does everyone but I definitely don't want to be called ' _princess_ '." Emma added.

"How about some cake on the house for the savior who broke our curse and saved us all and for her son who helped her do it?" Granny offered, handing Emma and Henry a large piece of her best chocolate cake while Ruby hugged her best friend Snow.

"I believe congratulations are in order Miss Swan." Gold declared a while later.

"Gold… Thanks." Emma nodded.

"Does Belle remember everything perfectly as well?" Bella asked him.

"Yes, she does tough she already remembered most of it. She's catching up with her father as we speak. She asked me to pick her up in a couple of hours." He replied.

"Come and join us then, you shouldn't stay on your own." Bella offered and he accepted happily.

"Thank you, I figured you wouldn't want me to go after Regina." He smiled.

"Not if you'd go to get your revenge on her. I know that she deserves to be punished, but you can't kill her or do anything against her, you need to let her be judge by the people. Try to make the right decisions, who knows, maybe you'll end up fighting your darkness." Bella replied hopeful.

"That's very optimistic of you." Gold pointed out.

"I like to see the best in people." She replied.

A few minutes later, August kissed Bella quickly before he told her that he was going to find his father to try and catch up.

About an hour and a half after they left, Graham and the dwarfs came back, assuring that they had caught Regina and that she was now locked up in a jail cell, allowing them to celebrate before they went to investigate the town line and help people find their loved ones from which they had been separated through the curse.

"So Bella, do you think your parents are here too?" Mary-Margaret asked her.

"I honestly have no clue. All I know is what's at the end of Henry's book." Bella replied.

"What about your dreams? Henry mentioned that you remembered some things." She insisted.

"I do but I was a few days old when I arrived here, so everything is blurry, I mean, babies don't see much during the first few days of their lives, even magic ones. I remember magic fighting above me, my mother's cruel laughter, my father's loving and reassuring presence, his deep voice…" Bella explained, feeling sad all of a sudden as she was reminded that she didn't have a family with her, that she was alone while Emma had her parents.

.

 ** _.The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _Finally!_

 _With the curse broken, it's only a matter of time before I can be with my daughter. Until then, I need to do my best to help her as much as possible from a distance._

 _First with her magic, the most important. She and Emma are going to need help and I only have one chapter left to write in my book for Bella. It will help them understand their pure magic and once they understand it, what it's made of, where it comes from and how to conjure it, they will be able to control it. They'll also be able to understand dark magic, where it comes from and what it's made of. It will help them fight it and not use it._

 _My apprentice will deliver it to her and, with it, she'll know more about how her magic works and be able to defend herself and her many loved ones. I know that she'll be powerful, maybe even more powerful than I am, which is a good thing._

 _Maybe meeting my apprentice will even give her a clue as to who I am, who she is. I don't know if he'll be able to tell her or not, but we'll see. I know that he'll do everything he can to help me, and her. He's always been faithful to me and is like a son to me. He was going to be her godfather before I was forced to send her away._

 _I want her to be strong enough to be able to face anyone who crosses her. I want her to be able to hold her own against her mother when the time comes, and I want her to be strong enough to fight the Dark One if need be._

 _I can't help but feel bad for her though, watching her tonight._

 _I know her, she's happy for Emma but she's also sad and trying not to be envious. It kills me to see her being this sad but I don't have a choice, I can't reach out to her. I just hope that she knows how much I love her, how much I wish I could be with her right now._

.

The next day, the town looked busier than ever. Everyone was looking for someone or helping someone look for someone else. The dwarfs had discovered that going over the town's line made you forget everything and made you cursed again while Graham was busy preventing several people from trying to kill Regina in revenge.

"We need to bring magic back. Not only for Gold's plan to find his son but also to give Sneezy his memories back and to try and find a way to go back to the Enchanted Forest. Maybe even to keep Regina locked up without having to always be on the look out." Bella declared as she and August had lunch with Marco, David, Mary-Margaret, Emma, Henry and Graham.

"I don't like giving the Dark One his powers back much but Bella's right, we don't have much of a choice." David nodded.

"How do we do this, then?" Henry asked.

"You don't do anything, kid. You have to get to school. It opens back this afternoon, remember?" Emma smiled.

"But I want to help!" he exclaimed.

"If I know that you're safe and in school, then I'll be able to do what I have to do better. You'll be helping." Emma tried to convince him.

"It's not fair." He complained.

"I'll be at school too Henry. I have to teach since they haven't found anyone to replace me yet. Don't worry, you'll be able to help at some point." Snow told her grandson, trying to convince him.

"Fine, but next time, I'm helping." He declared, looking resigned.

"We'll see.' Emma smiled.

.

"So, how do we do it?" David asked Gold as they all assembled where he had asked them to meet him:

In front of the lock tower.

"Remember the egg I asked you to hide?" The Dark one asked David who nodded.

"We need it. I hide inside a potion made of you and Snow's hair. It's True Love's magic and dropping it in the well will bring back magic." He explained.

"An egg hidden by David… You mean the one he placed down Maleficent's dragon form's throat?" Bella asked him.

"The very same." He nodded before he told them what fate Regina had prepared for her old friend.

"She's going to be pissed off. Nobody would like being locked up like this." Emma shook her head, already dreading the dangerous mission.

"Seeing as I'm the one who placed it in her, I think it's best if I don't go down, it would only anger her more." David explained and although Emma could tell that it wasn't the complete truth, she believed that he was right.

"I'll go." Bella, Emma, Graham and August declared at the same time.

"I think Emma and I should go. You two should stay up here in case something happens. We'll be fine, I can feel it." Bella smiled.

"How are we even going to do this?" Emma asked.

"I brought your father's sword for you and another one for Bella." Gold declared, opening a case and showing two swords to Emma and Bella.

"Let's do this then. I'd like for it to be over when Henry gets out of school." Emma nodded.

* * *

 **What did you think? Congratulations to those of you who guessed it was Regina, I know it was an easy one. If you reviewed as guest, I can't answer your question, sorry. Although most of you asked about Bella's pairing so I will answer this: she might not stay with August, because sometimes life is a *****. Will she be with Hook Maybe, for a time, maybe for ever, maybe not. A little bonus? She will exchange kisses with Mulan, but it won't last. Sorry if this didn't answer your question.**

 **Don't forget to leave a little review on your way out.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 15:**

Bella and Emma stood nervously in the elevator that Graham was helping Gold move down. They couldn't hear anything yet and hoped that Maleficent would be asleep. Attached at their waist, there was a talkie walkies so they could call upstairs for reinforcements if necessary.

"Even if she was before we came down, I'm sure this elevator is making even more noise downstairs. I mean, according to Gold it's a cave, so there must be a big echo…" Bella shook her head, trying to stay realistic.

"You're right. I can't believe we're going to have to fight and kill a dragon like in movies." Emma nodded.

"We don't have to kill her, maybe we can reason with her and ask her to give us the egg. I mean, as soon as magic is back she'll be human again and free."

"But she's a villain." Emma argued.

"So is Gold, and we gave him another chance. He's trying to change, I don't see why she couldn't. Everyone deserves a chance to change and become a better person. I strongly believe that anyone can become a good person given the proper motivation." Bella replied.

"Are you including Regina in this?" Emma asked her doubtfully.

"I'm sure that, given the proper motivation, even _she_ could change, but right now let's concentrate on Maleficent. One villain at a time." Bella stated.

"You really want to try and give her a chance?" Emma asked her.

"I do. I feel that it's important." Bella nodded.

"Very well then, let's do it and give her a chance. I'll let you do the talking, you're better at this." Emma smiled.

She knew that it was always better for them to listen to Bella's instinct.

"You'll see, we'll be fine. We might not even need the swords."

"How do you want to get the egg out if we don't cut it out?" Emma asked her, confused.

"Your father had her swallow it so technically she should be able to throw it up while in her Dragon form." Bella replied.

"But why hasn't she done it until now?"

"Maybe because she knew someone would try and take it and she'd lose her only advantage. She's smart, she knows that as long as she has it, she can use it to get what she wants."

"True. But… hum… What if she already got it out, you know, on the other side?" Emma nodded just when the double door finally opened to let them out of the elevator and the thought had them stop.

"You mean like, if she pooped it?" Bella asked her with a disgusted frown on her face.

"Yes. After all, she did swallow it so it could have eventually gone out, right?" Emma explained her line of thoughts.

"I… The egg has to be large, if it did get out that way, it has to have hurt… I… Let's not think about it and just try to talk to her." Bella shook her head as they both stepped out of the elevator and found themselves face to face with a large dragon that appeared very angry.

"Maleficent? My name is Bella and this is Emma. We don't want to hurt you, we just want to get the egg out, the one that Charming hide inside you."

In response, Maleficent roared angrily, sending fire near them although Bella notice that she only reacted after hearing Charming's name.

"She doesn't seem too eager to help." Emma commented as they stepped quickly out of the way.

Emma got her father's sword out, ready to use it while Bella waited a while longer and stepped closer to Maleficent, in front of Emma.

"Maleficent, I know you're angry, I totally understand. But if you help us get this egg out, you'll be able to get back to your human form and to step out with the rest of us, you'll have a second chance at a normal life. I promise you that we'll help you if you help us get this egg." Bella spoke as calmly as she could and managed to calm down Maleficent who stayed still in front of them, waiting for whatever Bella had to say next.

"Even Regina won't be able to lock you back up, she doesn't have the power anymore." Emma added.

"Do you think you can throw the egg back up?" Belle asked Maleficent who nodded her large dragon's head and started moving her stomach and throat, making disgusting noises with as she did it.

After about 10 minutes, the egg fell on the ground in front of them, surrounded by transparent liquid.

"Urg, this is disgusting. The things you have to do to be the savior around here…" Emma shook her head as she grabbed the egg while Bella rushed to help a freshly human Maleficent.

"It does feel nice not to have this in my stomach anymore. Thank you." Maleficent told Bella and Emma.

"You're welcome. I was serious too, you won't be locked up, this is a chance at a new beginning for you. I'll help you adjust." Bella told her.

"Thank you, I haven't had the chance to know anything of this town. I mean, I did hear bits and pieces from down there, Regina even came down here to talk to me once in a while but it wasn't very often and I only heard what she wanted to tell me." Maleficent replied.

"And I'm sure it was edited to fit whatever she wanted you to know. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, Emma Swan." Emma nodded.

"I don't remember you two from before. Who were you back in the Enchanted Forest?" The woman dragon asked them.

"We weren't there. My father sent me in this world to protect me and made sure I'd stay close to Emma and Emma was sent here by her parents when she was a baby so she'd break Regina's curse because Rumpelstiltskin made it so she'd be the only one able to break it, so she'd be the savior."

"Who are your parents?" She asked the two of them.

"Bella doesn't know hers, it's a long story I'm sure she'll be happy to tell you. Mine are Snow White and Prince Charming." Emma replied.

"Them?" Maleficent spat, taking one step back from Emma and suddenly looking angry and hurt.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked her.

"What they did to me, I'll never forget and never forgive. They're worst than the monster I was supposed to be back then."

"What do you mean? What did they do to you?" Emma asked her, confused.

Then, trying to keep her calm and stay in her human form, Maleficent explained to the two young women what had happened between her and Emma's parents. How she went to them to try and stop the curse, how they betrayed her to get an answer for themselves and learned that their daughter had a great potential for darkness, how they got rid of it by putting it in Maleficent's child and how her baby girl was sucked into a portal without her.

Emma was shocked and obviously angry at her parents. She understood why they'd want her to be rid of the darkness but the way they did it wasn't right and she couldn't help but be angry at them. Especially at her mother. Maleficent had offered for them to work together and stop the curse before it was even cast and Snow had refused, just because Maleficent was Evil at the time. Hadn't she heard of second chances? Was she really this small minded?

"Everything alright down there? Emma?" David's voice resonated from the device on her waist.

"We're fine David. We'll be up in a minute." Emma replied in a cold voice.

"Emma…" Bella started to say but her friend cut her off:

"I can't believe they did this to someone else's child… I'm so sorry Maleficent. Right now we're looking to help Gold, I mean Rumpelstiltskin, find his son but as soon as that's done, I promise to help you look for your daughter. I will do my best to make up for what they did." Emma promised the sorceress.

"Thank you. I promise in return not to try and get my revenge on your parents. I'll do my best to stay away from them." Maleficent told Emma with a smile.

"You're not as evil as you're made out to be." Bella let out and made Maleficent chuckle.

Seeing that Emma was still angry, Bella called their friends upstairs and told them that they were ready to be pulled up, not telling them yet that they weren't alone.

"You know, in a way, I understand why they did it… I don't approve of the way they did it but I understand why they would make sure their child had a pure heart, especially in their position. Being royalty and a hero, it wouldn't look good if their first born child turned out to be the next big evil of the land." Maleficent told Emma while Bella told August that they were ready to be pulled back up and that Maleficent was with them and not to be harmed.

"I understand that too, but they lied. They pretend they're good people when in reality they ruined someone's life. Your baby was as innocent as I was. There's no excuse for what they did to you and to your daughter. They could have found another way." Emma replied.

"You can't close yourself up Emma… They're your parents, they only wanted to do what's best. Everyone makes mistakes, even them." Bella told her best friend.

"They shouldn't have lied." Emma shook her head and even though Bella knew that her friend would forgive her parents eventually, she also knew that it could take some time and that she needed to let them deal with it, she couldn't find herself in the middle of this argument.

Slowly, the elevator went up and Bella could see that Maleficent was nervous.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Bella reassured her.

"I hope so. I just want a fresh start and a chance to find my daughter." She replied.

"And you'll have it. Everyone gets a second chance here. I'll help you find a place to stay and maybe even a job." Bella offered.

"Thank you. With everything that's happened the past few decades… I just want to forget my jealousy and anger and be happy. Prepare for when I find my daughter again." Maleficent replied.

"I'll help you. Maybe Archie will even be able to help you, he's a therapist and he's good at his job. I'm sure you'll be fine. You'll even make friends, I know it." Bella replied with a bright smile.

"It's hard to doubt when you're the one saying it." The dragon sorceress chuckled.

"Don't I know it. Bella has a way of knowing things. If her instinct tells her that you'll be fine, then it means that you'll truly be fine." Emma agreed.

Before they could speak any more, the elevator stopped moving and the doors opened to reveal Gold, Graham, August and David.

"Everything okay?" David asked nervously while they gave the golden egg to Gold who smiled and walked away with it, followed by Belle, to pour it in the well.

"If you want to know if she told me about what you and Mary-Margaret did to her child, then yes, she did. And yes, I'm angry. By the way, I won't be home tonight, I need to calm down. I'll pick Henry up for school and he won't be home either. Don't wait up." Emma replied angrily before she grabbed Graham's hand and walked away, needing his presence to calm down and feeling the need to share with him what she had just learned.

"Maleficent… I…" David tried to say, looking for the right words.

"Don't worry Charming, I promised Bella that I wouldn't look for revenge. All I want is a second chance and my daughter. I won't look for trouble but you and your wife should avoid me nonetheless. Though I understand why you did it, I don't approve of the methods you used and I'm not ready to forgive and forget just yet." Maleficent told David before she let Bella and August guide her outside, to the world she had heard for 28 years and was finally able to be a part of.

.

Gold and Belle quickly made their way to the well, first with the car and then by hiking there for a bit. Once in front of it, the Dark One opened the vial he had taken from the golden egg and poured it down the stone magical well. Immediately, a light purple, almost pink, smoke filled the air around them and expended through the entire town, dissipating after a few second and leaving magic behind it.

"So, do you feel it? Do you have magic now?" Belle asked her love.

"I do. It's different here but I'll be fine. We'll be fine." He replied with a nod.

"What about Regina?" Belle asked worriedly.

"It will take her a while to understand how magic works in this world, long enough for us to find a solution to take it from her or lock her up somewhere she won't be able to use it. Don't worry, I won't let her go after you." Gold replied.

 ** _.The Sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _As I watched my daughter and Maleficent sit down at Granny's, I couldn't help but be even prouder. She had given Maleficent a second chance and promised to help her find her daughter, of course it won't be easy, especially since Lilly is angry at everyone and has her own agenda when it comes to her mother but I'm confident that it will all be okay._

 _Looking to the side, I could see David driving back to School to pick up his wife. The look on his face expressed quite clearly his distress over Emma's reaction and I knew that if it had been up to him, he would have agreed to help Maleficent and the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest would have been happy and safe._

 _The truth is, Snow has always had a big potential for making bad decisions. She tries so hard to do the right thing and be good to make her deceased mother proud without knowing all the facts that she ends up causing more harm than good. She's afraid of ending up doing something wrong and turn her heart dark and in the end, she does the wrong thing, or she does the right think but in the wrong way. Her heart might be in the right place but she doesn't listen to it enough._

 _Hopefully, her daughter and mine will be able to fix her mistakes and, in the future, help her be less afraid. I also hope that they teach David to speak up more about his opinions. If Snow listened to him she wouldn't make quite so many mistakes._

* * *

 ** _I hope you liked it. Please tell me what you think of the way things are going. Do you think Maleficent will be redeemed or will she go back to her evil ways?_**

 ** _Review please_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 16:**

As soon as they arrived at the station, Emma told Graham everything Maleficent had told her about her parents and of course he offered to let her and Henry stay at his place while she figured things out.

"Thank you, I was kind of hoping you would offer. I just need some space from them right now." Emma replied with a smile.

"Of course, but you know that you'll have to speak with your parents eventually, right?" he asked her.

"I know, but I'm not ready right now."

"What do you say we go and get Henry from school together? We'll stop for ice-cream on the way back. It'll change your mind a bit and you'll be able to tell him why you're not going back at your parents." Graham suggested.

"Thank you, I'd like that a lot." Emma smiled, loving that she could count on him.

.

While Emma was dealing with her problems with her parents, Bella was introducing Maleficent to the town with August by her side. She had explained to the sorceress everything she knew about her own parents, which wasn't much and pointed out to her the main people she needed to know in town.

"I wish I could say that you're my daughter but it doesn't fit the timeline. I hope you'll find them though, you deserve it and any parent would be proud to call you their daughter." Maleficent replied kindly.

"Thank you, I'm sure I will. At least my father, whoever the Truest Believer is will find him for me so I'll know him eventually."

"What about your mother?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, I want to know who she is and I think I at least want to meet her but I'm afraid she'll end up hurting me like she tried to do when I was just a baby." Bella confessed.

"Don't worry Bella, you're not alone anymore, you'll be fine." August comforted her and Maleficent smiled.

"But you'll give her a chance, won't you?" Maleficent asked her.

"I think I will. I strongly believe that everybody deserves a second chance in life, I don't see why she'd be any different. Having someone willing to love you and to give you a chance can do a lot to change someone." Bella smiled.

"This is why I love you." August added before he kissed her softly, not realizing that he had said those 3 very important words for the first time.

"Anyway, I spoke to Granny and she'll let you use one of her rooms until you can make your own arrangements." Bella told her.

"Isn't she afraid?"

"No, Granny believes in giving people second chances too. And she's strong." Bella shook her head with a smile.

"Well, I'm grateful. I won't let you down. As long as nobody comes after me, I'll do my best to take this chance at a do over. When I finally have my daughter back, I want to be able to show her that she has a life waiting for her here, with me." Maleficent smiled.

"I trust you."

"And her instinct is never wrong." August added.

"But how will I pay for the room? I don't have money right now."

"I'm sure you can work something out with Granny. You have magic, maybe you can use it to help her or something, she's open to suggestions." Bella smiled.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now if you want, we can take you to see Archie, this way you'll know where to find him if you ever need to talk to someone and I'm not here." Bella offered.

"Sure, I'd like that." Maleficent nodded.

.

Once they had their ice creams, Emma, Graham and Henry went to the park where Emma did her best to explain the situation to her son. Being who he is, of course Henry understood his mother's reaction but he also understood why his grandparents would have done something like this.

"Don't worry Henry, I just need some time. I know I'll have to talk with them and let them explain themselves later, I'm just not ready to do it now." Emma told him.

"Okay, well, I'm glad we get to spend some time together, just the three of us." Henry replied with a smile while he enjoyed the ice cream that Graham had gotten.

"Me too, kid. Me too." Emma smiled.

"So, Graham, letting us move in is kind of a big move, isn't it?" Henry asked, surprising both adults and making Emma blush.

"Yes, I know it is." Graham smiled.

"And you don't think it's too soon?"

"Actually, I was already thinking of asking your mother if she wanted to move in." he revealed, knowing where Henry was leading.

"Do you love each other? Like really love each other?" Henry asked them.

"I know I do." Graham smiled, looking at Emma who replied:

"I do too."

"Good, I'm glad we're a family then." Henry nodded, accepting it without any problems.

"So, what should we make for dinner?" Emma asked her two men.

"I vote for tacos." Henry declared.

"Good idea." Graham agreed.

"Tacos it is, then, let's go and get what we'll need from the store." Emma smiled, loving the fact that Henry accepted this so easily.

.

"So, now that Maleficent is settled in and spending the evening helping Granny out, what shall we do?" Bella asked August.

"I thought we could go and eat with my father." He suggested.

"Are you sure he'd want me there?" Bella asked him, nervous.

"Of course he does, he's the one who asked me to bring you along, I just forgot to tell you with everything that's been going on today." August reassured her.

"Okay then, is there anything we need to bring?"

"Maybe dessert."

"Let's go and buy a pie then." Bella smiled.

"So… I just realized that I might have said something earlier that was meant to be said under much different and more special circumstances…" August started to say.

"You mean that thing you said that started with an _I_ and ended with a _you_ with a _love_ in the middle?"

"That very thing." He nodded with an amused smile at her way of turning it.

"Well, I was very happy to hear it and, just for the record, I love you too August." She replied, looking him in the eyes before he kissed her softly.

On the way to Marco's place, Bella and August ran into Belle and Gold who were on their way to Granny's for dinner. Gold informed them that magic was indeed back and that it was very different than it was back in the Enchanted Forest, it would take the Fairies and Regina some time to figure out how to make it work.

"Why are you so nervous suddenly?" Bella asked August once Gold and Belle were away.

"Blue. I'm a bit afraid of what she'll do once she figures out how magic works. What if she changes me back into wood because I didn't behave as well as I should have?"

"Then we'll find another solution. She should have never asked you to act so perfectly, nobody is perfect and making mistakes is human. Making up for them is what makes us good people and you've made up for what you've done." Bella tried to reassure him.

"I haven't told you guys everything."

"And we don't need to know everything."

"What I'm hiding… Gold needs to know, and Emma would be very angry at me if I told her… But I promised I would never say anything…"

"Then you need to keep your promise, I'm sure everything will work out fine in the end. The truth will come out and once she finds out that you didn't say anything because you made a promise, then she'll forgive you."

"Without what I've done, her life would have gone very differently… Much better than it was for the past 10 years." August added.

"Would she have made her way here and broken the curse?"

"No, she wouldn't have come close to this town." He shook his head.

"Then maybe you were always meant to do this. Don't worry about this, Blue won't kill you because as twisted as she might be she's still a force of good and we'll deal with whatever else she does. To me, the worst thing she could do would be to turn you back into a child." Bella smiled.

"You always find a way to make everything better, I love you." He smiled, stopping their walk to kiss her.

"I love you too. Now come on, let's go and see what your father has prepared for us." She told him with a bright, cheering, smile.

.

Blue was frustrated and doing her best to hide it from everyone. Everyone in town was perfectly fine not knowing who Bella was and who her parents were but she knew better. The author of the book was her father, yet Blue knew that the current author was imprisoned somewhere and couldn't possibly have fathered anyone, nor would he have the power to cross realms. That had to mean that the Sorcerer, his apprentice or someone else of equal power and of their choosing was Bella's father and no matter who that was, it was bad news for her, she knew it.

To top it all, Bella had helped Pinocchio turn back into a man when he hadn't been completely truthful, brave and unselfish. Who did she think she was, breaking a spell that wasn't hers to break in the first place?

Pinocchio had to be punished for not behaving the way he should have, she knew it but how could she do it now? She'd look like the villain if she did anything, so she had to wait for the right moment and act. She couldn't raise Bella's suspicion because if the young woman was as powerful as her potential fathers were, then she'd be in great trouble. The sorcerer had never liked her much, always had it in for her and she had no doubt that anyone working with him would feel the same way about her.

The best thing she could do was to keep on acting like the benevolent fairy that everyone thought she was and hope to fool them all for a very long time.

"Blue? Nova was back home late again. I followed her like you asked and she hasn't talked or crossed Leroy, I mean Grumpy, but she's been sitting at the docks on her own for a while, just watching the ocean." One of her faithful fairies announced.

"Very well, thank you. Keep on following her for the next few days, we can't have her forgetting her destiny and her mission just so she can be with a dwarf. We need to make sure she remembers who she is and what she's supposed to do." Blue replied before the other fairy nodded and left the office.

.

"Thank you Marco, it was delicious." Bella told August' father as they were getting ready to leave and go back to Granny's.

"Anything for the woman who makes my son so happy." Marco smiled.

"Very happy." August agreed with a large smile, making Bella blush.

"You two go on and be careful going back to Granny's. It's pretty dark out and we don't know who or what is out there."

"It's Storybrook. What's worse than the Dark one and the Evil Queen?" Bella asked.

"We never know, child, we never know. Now that magic is back, other things might be back as well." Marco replied before his son and Bella kissed him goodnight.

"Your father was happy to have us tonight, I think he'd like you to move back in with him." Bella told August on their way back.

"I know, he's offered but… I mean, I want to move back in with him but I like being just a door away from you." August replied.

"Well, I love having you just a door away as well but I want you to be happy, if moving back in with your father does it… Then you should do it."

"I'll think about it later, right now I like having you right here." He replied with a smile as he pulled Bella closer to him and kissed her.

"Hey guys! Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Want to join me for a drink at the White Rabbit?" Ruby asked them as she was about to walk past them.

"Sorry Ruby, not tonight." Bella shook her head.

"Don't be, more drinks for me." Ruby winked at them before she left.

Bella and August kissed one more time before they started walking again and finally arrived in the corridor that separated their rooms.

"Would you like to come in? I'm not ready to leave you yet." Bella asked him, taking a chance.

"I most certainly would." He replied before he went back to kissing her.

Bella managed to open her door and, before she knew it, they were both naked in her bed, enjoying each other, their love and their happiness.

.

The next morning, Emma had calmed down enough to agree to having breakfast with her parents and give them the opportunity to explain their actions and apologize. Graham and Henry joined her and, together, they were determined to help her do the right thing. They wanted their family to be strong and united.

"Emma, I know you're angry and I know that we didn't do the right thing but we thought it was the best way to ensure that you'd be good. We were wrong, and we'll do our best to make up for it not only to you but to Maleficent and her daughter as well." Snow told Emma as soon as they were all inside the loft.

"It won't be that easy." Emma shook her head.

"I know, we know, but we'll work for it. Please don't lock us out." David argued.

"I'm trying not to. I want to be mad at you so badly but I'm trying very hard not to be angry… I know that I'm lucky to have you here, I look at Bella and know that she'd give anything to be in my situation so I'm trying to be the better person, but it's not easy." Emma confessed.

"I know that you need time but please don't move out. Stay with us." Snow pleaded.

"About that… Graham and I have been talking about moving in together… I'd love to stay with you but I also want to live with him." Emma explained.

"And it would be a bit small a place for four adults and a child." David nodded.

"Maybe we can try to find a bigger house, one big enough so that all of us could be together and have our intimacy." Snow suggested.

"Why don't we eat breakfast first? I'm starving." Henry declared.

"After all the Tacos you ate last night?" Graham asked him.

"What? I'm growing up, I need energy!" Henry argued with a smile.

"Sure you do." Emma shook her head, amused.

 **. _The Sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _As I drank my tea, I couldn't help the great pride that rose in my chest. My daughter was a good person, on her way to become a great hero._

 _I can see Blue plotting in her office and I can only hope that Bella would be prepared and capable of standing up to her. It was well time that she and Emma learned that they had magic and how to use it so, in order to do that, I prepared the potion I use to contact my Apprentice. It would take him time to get it and contact me back but once he did, I'd be able to send him the book and he'd find a way to get it to my beloved daughter without her finding out who he is._

 _I had to have faith._

* * *

 **This chapter is a bit if a filler. What do you think Blue will do?**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 17:**

Jefferson had prepared everything to leave Storybrook with Grace. The hat that Bella had made worked and he'd be able to go to Wonderland, where he had a nice house ready to welcome him and his daughter. He had already made a few trips with boxes and bags while his daughter kept on packing. They'd be together and have a nice life because the inhabitants of Wonderland were always ready to spend lots of money in order to have his hats. They'd also be away from Regina and that was something he desperately wanted. To make sure the Evil Queen wouldn't be able to hurt his daughter ever again.

"When are we leaving, Papa?" Grace asked him after he came back from his final trip.

"Tonight. I need to speak with the Savior first. Pack everything else you want to take with you." He told her and she nodded, smiled and rushed to her bedroom to pack everything she wanted to take with her, from dolls to tea-sets and fluffy toys.

While she packed, Jefferson called Bella and asked her to come see him with Emma as soon as possible and so the two young women arrived less than an hour later to see what he wanted.

"Hey Jefferson, what's going on?" Bella asked him.

"Well, magic is back and the hat you made for me works so I'm going to us it to go back to Wonderland with Grace. We're leaving tonight and I just wanted to say goodbye, thank you, and give you my house." Jefferson told them.

"You're welcome and what? You can't give us your house, it's yours!" Bella exclaimed.

"Except I won't be using it anymore and I don't need it. Might as well be used by someone and since you helped me and you broke the curse… You both deserve it." He argued.

"That's very generous of you, thank you." Emma replied, thinking that this house would definitely be large enough to fit her parents, her son and her boyfriend in it.

Then, Jefferson gave them a double of the keys, telling them where he'd leave his set before he left and the two friends left him to his packing.

"You can have it, Emma. I like being on my own for now and it'll be better for you and your family." Bella told her with a smile.

"Thanks, just this morning we were talking of looking for a bigger roof." Emma smiled.

"Well you have one now."

"Maybe you can move in the loft, then." Emma suggested as they made their way back in town where Graham, Snow and Charming were waiting to find out what was going on.

Emma explained everything and everyone agreed that her idea was the best one yet. Bella would move in the loft the next day, with the help of August and Ruby, while Snow, Emma, Charming, Henry and Graham would move in to Jefferson's house with the help of the seven dwarfs.

"Leroy suggested that we took Regina's house since she took everything from us but it didn't feel right. I don't see myself happy in that house." Mary-Margaret informed them.

"I can see why." Bella nodded.

"But you're still taking leadership, right?" Henry asked.

"Well, someone needs to be in charge and since everyone I cross just assumes that David and I are in charge, I guess we will be. We're planning on going to the mayor's office this afternoon to sort everything out." Snow replied.

"It makes sense, you would be queen if it weren't for Regina." Bella nodded.

"If it weren't for Regina, my father would still be alive and I wouldn't need to be queen, I'd still be a princess." Mary-Margaret replied with a hint of sadness.

.

Leroy and his 6 brothers had been back at working in the mines for a few days now. Everyone needed fairy dust and even though he was still a little uneasy with Blue after what she forced him to do, he knew that fairy dust would be useful not only to Blue but also to Snow and her family.

After the curse had been broken, Leroy had been torn. Even without any memories, he had managed to fall in love with Nova, Astrid here. That surely had to mean something, right? He had tried to talk about it with Archie but the good Cricket didn't really know what to tell him. The usual advice would be to follow his heart but when the object of his affection was a nun/fairy, that seemed to be bad advice, so he had done his best to avoid her.

It hadn't been easy, especially since she came to the docks everyday and sat by his boat, waiting for him to show up. He managed to stay away for a few days before he gave up and went to talk to her.

"I thought you'd stay away longer than that." She said as soon as he stepped out of the shadows to join her.

"I tried, but I'm not strong enough apparently." He replied.

"You lied to me. Back in the Enchanted Forest I mean." She mentioned, surprisingly not angry.

"Yes, I did." He admitted, guilt evident all over him.

"Why?"

"Because Blue managed to convince me that I would destroy your future, that you deserved better than a dwarf. That I would prevent you from becoming a fairy godmother. I thought I was doing what was best for you." He replied honestly.

"Did it hurt? Did you want to go with me?" She asked him, needing to know that it was all still real between them.

"Of course I did! Why do you think my name went from Dreamy to Grumpy?" He asked her in a slightly brusque tone.

"I was so heart-broken…" She whispered before he joined her on the bench and sat by her side.

"So was I."

"I still am."

"Me too. I… I still want it, it still hurts not to be with you, but Blue… You're still a fairy Nova." He replied in a low voice, afraid of being overheard.

"I still love you too. I… I need some time. I need to try and free myself from Blue without consequences. I don't know what but I think that something is going on with Blue and her lieutenants, her more trusted fairies. It's like there's something I don't know going on and I don't like it. I need some time to try and figure out what's going on and how to leave." She confessed.

"What if that means you lose your fairy powers?" He asked her.

"I don't care about my powers. If I keep them then it's great, if not then too bad but being happy is more important. I also believe that as long as I keep on believing in myself, my fairy powers won't go anywhere." Nova replied.

"Well, I'll always believe in you, and my brothers will be on our side." Leroy added.

"You're okay with waiting then?" She asked him nervously.

"I've been waiting for years, what's a few more weeks? Plus, it'll give me the time to get my place ready for you." He smiled happily.

"It might be best if we aren't seen together too often in case we're being watched by Blue." She suggested.

"You're right, I'll get my brothers to accidentally run into you every day, maybe Snow and her family will even help, I know Henry will. They'll be able to pass messages for us." Leroy nodded.

"Thanks. I have to go now or I'll be late. I'll tell you when I can join you as soon as I know." She assured him before she stood up.

At that moment, they both felt like kissing but knew that they couldn't, not yet. So instead they smiled and she turned around to walk away.

"It must have been how Romeo and Juliette felt when they couldn't be together." Leroy muttered to himself before he jumped on his boat to start on working on what needed to be fixed before he had to join his brothers for dinner at Granny's.

.

The next day, once Bella had moved out of her room at Granny's and in the Loft while the Charming family moved out of the loft and into Jefferson's large house, everyone met at Granny for a well deserved meal.

August and his father were there as well, they had helped Bella move in and surprised her with a beautiful hand crafted desk that they had made together, just for her, so she could have a nice place to write her books. Belle and Gold had also joined in and helped them, mostly with magic to speed things up a bit.

"Something wrong Leroy?" Bella asked him.

Granny was officially closed so nobody they didn't trust would hear his answer and Leroy told them of his conversation with Nova.

"See, I knew I had to have a reason not to like Blue!" Bella told Emma with a small smile.

"I had no idea she was capable of breaking two people up just for her own gain…" Snow shook her head.

"It doesn't surprise me. I never liked her. There was a time, well, several times truthfully, where she could have helped me and she chose not to. I'll never forgive her. It's her fault I became the Dark One, it's her fault I lost my son, it's her fault I grew up afraid of everything." Gold replied, adding the last part in a whisper.

 **.The sorcerer's thoughts.**

 _Locked in my house, I frowned as I heard the new subject that came up._

 _Blue._

 _I never liked her and she never liked me, it's the one thing we agree on: we don't like each other. She doesn't like me because I know her, I know her secret, I know her fears and most of all, I know why she never went to Rumpelstiltskin's help when she could have. I'm surprised that with all of his Dark one's power, he never found out the truth but then again, he never tried to look for it. If he knew, if he was to find out, it would change everything._

 _If the truth about her ever came out, Blue would lose the faith of the people she'd lose her fairies, she'd lose her influence and maybe even her powers._

 _She could have helped him early on in his life, she could have prevented him from becoming the Dark One, from being left by his father, from becoming a coward, from being left by his wife, from losing his son… She could have prevented this curse from ever taking place._

 _Without Blue's actions, everything would be completely different because she created a chain reaction that made life as it is now. Regina, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, Hook, Cora,… everything is her fault, even my having the let go of the woman I loved and of my little girl._

 _I hope my daughter figures out the truth eventually and reveals it to everyone but even now, I can feel that Blue is planning something against my baby girl. I don't know what but she's going to try and hurt her, one way or another. I just hope she can be stopped before she does anything too bad._

 **.End of the Sorcerer's thoughts.**

That night, Bella went back to the loft with August, who spent the night there with her. She knew that she was falling in love with him and she could feel that they had a bright future ahead of them. They fit together perfectly and he was everything she ever wanted in a man.

.

In her office, Blue wasn't happy at all. She hated that Bella had helped August turn back into a man of flesh and bone. Who did she think she was going around breaking curses that weren't hers to break? That power belonged to her only, she was the one who was supposed to be the only one capable of breaking the spell she had placed on Pinocchio.

With a plan firmly in place in her head, Blue went in town and found Bella having lunch at Granny's with August, Marco and the complete Charming family. It wouldn't be easy to still look good to everyone after what she wanted to do but she knew that she could pull it off. The law was hard but it was the law and she knew that August hadn't told everyone the complete truth he had confessed so to her before the curse broke.

"Blue, do you want to join us?" Snow offered as soon as the fairy came inside the dinner.

"Thank you for this kind offer but I've already eaten. I'm here on a serious matter." Blue replied, looking grave.

"What's wrong?" Graham asked.

"August, Pinocchio." Blue stated, looking at the man that should still be made out of wood.

"I'm fine. What did I do?" he asked her, standing up, followed by his father and Bella.

"You know as well as I do that you shouldn't be back to being of flesh and bones Pinocchio. You might have been brave and unselfish since coming back in town but you haven't been completely truthful. You're still keeping a secret and you told me yourself that it was a big one, one that a lot of people would need to know. One that hurt Emma and would have changed her life." Blue said as Emma stood and everyone looked at him curiously.

"What is she speaking about August?" Emma asked.

"He's planning on revealing that secret, whatever it is. He's just waiting on the right moment to do so." Bella argued, feeling like something bad was about to happen.

"The right moment was the first time he saw her. Now it's too late." Blue replied, shaking her head sadly.

"You can't turn him back into wood! It would be unfair!" Bella argued.

"Please don't hurt my son, Blue." Marco pleaded at the same time as Bella spoke.

"I should turn him back into wood, but since magic is so tricky here, it might just turn him into a man size wooden puppet, it would kill him, so instead, I've decided to give him another chance. A chance to do better." Blue spoke.

It surprised Bella and August but they were glad. Maybe Blue wasn't that bad after all.

"Thank you, Blue." August nodded, hugging Bella to his side.

"As I said, I'm going to give you a second chance, one to do better, to be better. A chance to be a good _boy_." Blue replied, insisting on the last word, before she waved an ancient looking wand, one that was still charged with fairy dust, and turned August back into an 8 years old Pinocchio.

"What did you do?" Bella exclaimed when she saw her boyfriend turn back into a child.

"I gave him a second chance. I have to go now, do better and be a good boy Pinocchio." Blue said before she left the dinner and went back to the convent, satisfied that she had once again control over Pinocchio and that she had hurt Bella in the process.

.

As it turned out, the little boy didn't remember being the man and even though Marco was happy to have his little boy back, Bella was heartbroken.

"Bella…" Emma started to say but her friend shook her head.

"Please don't. Not now. I… I just want to be alone for a while." Bella replied before she made her way to her loft.

"I can't believe this… How could she do this…" Snow shook her head.

"Poor Bella." David added.

"Marco seemed happy though. I wonder what August's secret was." Henry declared.

"I don't know and whatever it was I forgive him for it. His life wasn't easy either and if he believed he was doing what was best for me, then I can't really blame him. Whatever he did got me here with you all, now. That's all that counts for me." Emma replied.

"Maybe you should give Bella some time alone but still go back to check on her later today." Graham suggested.

"You're right." Emma nodded.

 **.The sorcerer's thoughts.**

 _Blue had really outdone herself. Turning August back into kid Pinocchio to hurt my daughter and pretending that she was doing it to give him a second chance and not to make his father suffer was deviously brilliant but then again, it was her way._

 _I hated seeing my daughter sad or heartbroken and I hated not being able to do anything to help her. I hoped that this wouldn't be too much for her, that it wouldn't be the one experience that made her decide not to believe in love anymore. I wanted her to keep that heart of hers, to keep on believing in love and in the fact that she deserved it. I wanted her to be happy…_

 _I smiled with relief when, after her shift at the station, Emma joined Bella with ice cream, burgers and a bottle of wine. My daughter wasn't alone, she'd be fine._

* * *

 **What did you think? I know, Blue isn't good here and she won't be. Can you guess what her big secret is?**

 **Don't forget to review please!**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 18:**

About three days after August was turned back into a child, Bella finally left her loft and was seen in town again. She had received visits from a lot of people, mainly Emma, Snow White, Maleficent, Ruby, Belle and Granny and they all tried to cheer her up, to help her see the brighter side of things. Even Henry came over with a basket full of wine, chocolate, ice cream and DVD. He had googled up how to get over a break up and figured it would work for Bella as well. As touched as she had been by the boy's gesture, it hadn't been enough.

It's Marco who finally helped Bella out of her funk.

The old man felt terrible to be happy and to have completely overlooked how Bella must be feeling. He had dropped Pinocchio off at school before he came over to speak with her, hoping she would be willing to speak with him.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner, Bella. I was so happy to finally have my boy back that I completely ignored how you must be feeling…" He started to say once she let him in.

"I understand, Marco. It's not you I'm angry at. You happiness is natural and well deserved, I assure you." She replied sincerely.

"You're kind. I want you to know that he did love you, he told me so on several occasions. He told me that he saw a future with you, one he didn't think he deserved but was looking forward too nonetheless. I… I brought you a bag he left at my place with all of the researches he has on Henry's book. I know that he had gotten them before coming here and that he has been looking into it once more since meeting you. He was hoping to find a clue about your father's identity in this… I don't think he did but it might still help you." The old man declared as he handed a bag to Bella.

"Thank you. I… I'll look into it later, or maybe get Henry to work on it, I think he will love having something like this to work on." She smiled, even though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Don't give up, alright?" He told her.

"He's not coming back for another 28 years and by then I'll be 28 years older than him. The other way for me to stay his age would be to put the sleeping curse on myself until he could wake me up and that would be selfish because this town needs my help. I have to give up. I'm sure we could find a way to bring him back with magic, Gold offered to do it, but it would only take him away from you and it would be selfish too. I know that he missed you growing up and he probably loves having the opportunity to do it all over with you." Bella replied.

Indeed, the very day it had happened, shortly after Emma had left her, Gold and Belle came over and the Dark One offered to change Pinocchio back into a man, stating that he could do it and had everything he needed to do so but Bella refused politely.

It would have been selfish to accept and she knew that it wouldn't be right. She just had to accept that she had lost him and try to move on.

"I wasn't speaking about August. I know that you're not the kind of person to try and get him back to who he was just for you. Gold came to see me after seeing you and told me of the offer he made you and of your answer. I was speaking of _Love_. Don't give up on Love, it's who you are. You deserve it more than anyone I know and I know that you'll get it eventually. Seeing me and my boy might be difficult for you in the coming days, maybe even months but I want you to know that I'm here for you. You were important to my boy and that makes you family. Whatever you need Bella, I'm here. Think of me as an uncle of sorts, alright?"

"Thank you Marco, I… I'm sure it won't be so hard soon. I just need time to adjust." Bella smiled, touched by the old man's offer.

"Don't ever think that you're alone, alright? You might not have any blood family in this town yet, or at least not that we know of, but I want you to know that I consider you family. I'm here for you." He assured her before she went closer to him and hugged him, feeling like she was being hugged by a beloved uncle.

Eventually, Marco had to leave and Bella went to shower. Once she was done showering, she sat at her desk and did the one thing she knew would help her move on: she wrote. She wrote for 8 hours straight, without pausing, and finished her last book in one go. Finishing her book had helped her sort through her thoughts and when she was done, she felt ready to face the world once more and, maybe, even take on Blue.

.

Maleficent was slowly finding her place in Storybrook and she found it surprisingly easy to be good, well, at least not to be evil. When she heard that the Blue fairy had turned Bella's boyfriend back into a child, she had rushed to her first friend's side to see if there was anything she could do, a move her new therapist, Archie, said showed growth.

Bella hadn't needed anything other than company and hugs, which Maleficent happily provided but it made her miss her daughter even more. Had she gone through something similar? Was she alone to deal with it or did she have someone with her? What was even her name? Did she have a job she loved or a life she desperately wanted to escape?

Desperate for answers to all of her questions, Maleficent went to see Rumpelstiltskin and asked him to help her locate her daughter. Using his powers, it was easy enough for the Dark One to find the name of the child. Her daughter's name was Lilith Page and she had been found and adopted in Minnesota.

Gold couldn't magically find anything more recent but he advised her to ask Emma for help, explaining that finding people was what she used to do for a living and that the Savior might be able to find more information about Lilith, much faster than Gold would by using magic. Since Emma was busy helping Bella move on, Maleficent decided to wait a while and look on her own at first, using the Internet, which Doctor Hopper, her therapist, was helping her master.

She went to see him as soon as Gold showed her what he could and asked him not to speak of it to Emma and Bella for now, they had other things on their mind for the time being and she didn't want to bother them. That request had greatly impressed Archie, who complimented her on her progresses.

.

Bella needed something to concentrate on that wasn't August and her heartache and so she decided to help Belle opening up the Library. It needed lots of work to be back in shape but they were both decided and ready to work hard to achieve it. Their love of books was on of the things they had in common and Bella was touched when Belle placed her books on a shelf with the new discoveries.

"Thank you for your help Bella, I really appreciate it." Belle told Bella as they moved a heavy shelf together.

"Don't mention it, I needed to get my mind off of things anyway." Bella replied with a smile.

"It's more than that. You're special Bella. Just the way you've helped Rumple open up and be a better person… You trusted him with your friendship, you didn't treat him like he was an evil Dark One but like a friend from the beginning, like anyone else and it helped him see how it could be if he were better." Belle explained.

"Well, if I had any influence whatsoever in his changes, then I'm glad." Bella smiled.

"Things will get better for you Bella. You keep on spreading good and happiness around you and it will eventually all come back to you. You'll find your happiness eventually." Belle reassured her.

"I know, it's hard sometimes to keep faith but I do. I will find my father and maybe even my mother. Concerning Love... I guess we'll see." Bella nodded.

Bella and Belle got along pretty well and soon became friends.

Belle was aware that she owed her freedom to Bella. She had been the one to convince the sheriff and the savior hat finding her as soon as possible would be a good things. She's the one who helped Rumple keep his anger in check and try harder to be good. She's the one who impressed the Dark one enough that he wanted to stay on her side.

.

After a brief stay in the jails of the sheriff's department, Regina had been transferred in the padded cells under the hospital, the very same cell where she had locked Belle in for 28 years and she wasn't happy at all. She was fed but didn't have any form of entertainment and nobody would even try to talk to her, that's what she got for trying to make everyone miserable.

Her confinement had one bright side she hadn't been expecting: she was able to work on her magic. It was different here and it took her a while but she did it. She had overheard that Gold was working with the fairies and the dwarfs on a jail where magic wouldn't work so she could be locked up and her time was limited, so she worked hard, day and night, stopping only when she could finally work it and when she was able to start her first fire ball, she exploded in laughter and broke out of her cell, injuring a few people as she did so but she didn't care. She was free now and she'd get her revenge on them all for daring going after her, breaking her curse and locking her up.

.

"I think that we can do magic." Bella told Emma as they ate lunch together that day.

"What makes you think so?" Emma asked her.

"Because you're the savior who broke the town's curse and even though I don't know who I am, I made the magical hat so Jefferson could go back to Wonderland. I think we should try to find out how it works and work on it." Bella replied.

"I don't know… I'm not sure I want to have magic or to use it… I'm not ready." Emma shook her head.

"Fine, I'll try it on my own then. Gold told me that it's always linked to emotions, whether we're talking about negative ones or positive ones. He thinks that if you and I have magic, it will be triggered by positive emotions, like love." Bella explained.

"Tell me how that goes, okay? I have to go back to the station now, see if we can locate Regina before she hurts someone else." Emma declared before she ran off.

Bella knew that if she wanted to make her magic work, she'd need peace and help. She decided to try and go back to her loft first. As she entered her building, an old man she had never seen before was walking out. He was medium sized and had long bushy grey hair that fit well with his long bushy grey beard. She couldn't help but feel that he was a friend, that she could trust him with her life without ever talking to him or seeing him before.

"Good afternoon, miss." He told her with a smile as he walked pass her.

"You too." She replied, confused at the way he made her feel.

She felt around him like one would feel around on uncle or a grandfather, around someone familiar and friendly. Shaking her thoughts out of her head, she made her way to her door and was surprised to find a fancy looking back on the ground in front of her door.

Curious, she opened it and found a book. It was the same model as Henry's storybook, except on it was written: _Once Upon Magic, for Bella_.

It took Bella only a second to understand that the old man had dropped it off for her so she kept the book and the bag in her hands and ran back outside, hoping to catch him and ask him some questions but he was gone. She tried looking for him in the surrounding streets and didn't find him anywhere.

Planning on asking Emma's help to look for him once Regina was back in custody, she went back to her loft and settled on her couch with some warm tea where she opened the book.

As an introduction, there was a message, similar to the one on the back of Henry's book, that helped Bella guess that the one who had written it was her father, or someone very close to him. It seemed taken out of a longer text, with something missing in front of it and something going afterward.

 _"…_ _If he couldn't be there to show his beloved daughter how to use her magical potential to the fullest, he would do his best to guide her. He'd guide her on the use of her magic, teach her where it came from, the different types of magic, the powers she could master and the ones she should stay away from. He'd use a book to teach her everything he would have loved to teach her in person but couldn't, hoping that one day soon, the Truest Believer would reunite them so that he could show her more, teach her more. Until then, this book he was working on would be her teacher. He knew that she was ready to read it, to practice and to eventually master her art. She was destined to be one of the greatest sorceress in all the realms, to have pure magic and do good with it. This book would teach her how to become who she could be."_

Reading this, Bella couldn't help but have tears in her eyes. She quickly texted Henry to come over to the loft once he was out of school and warned Emma that she had ask the young boy over before she started reading.

The book had several parts, all of which Bella couldn't wait to read.

The first one was on history, the history of magic and of several legendary great sorcerers, gods, wizards, witches and warlocks, good or bad. There were even some family tree drawn to help her understand the Gods families. The second part was on dark magic, what made it, how to fight it, how to avoid using it. The next one was on White magic in general, how it was created, how to make it more powerful, how to master it and how to know if you had magic. A small chapter after that explained what was the price of magic, when it was demanded and the consequences of not paying it. The part after that was on Savior Magic, a chapter Bella made a mental note to photocopy for Emma. Another part explained how to cast spells, another held some potion recipes. One of the chapters had a list of ingredients used in magic with everything it could be used for. All in all, it seemed very complete, very informative and extremely interesting.

Bella couldn't help but notice that it had been written especially for her, holding references to the people in Storybrook like Rumpelstiltskin, Regina or Maleficent as well as magical objects like Jefferson's hat.

Bella started reading from the beginning, starting with the history of magic, learning about great sorcerers, gods and other people she always thoughts were just legends like Zeus, Merlin or Poseidon.

After reading a few pages though, Bella stopped to wonder who was the old man who had dropped the book off. She could feel that he wasn't an enemy, he was definitely a friend and an ally but why didn't he introduce himself? Why had he dropped the book off for her and why did he look so familiar to her? She was sure that she had seen him somewhere before but couldn't remember where exactly.

Bella was about to go back to reading the book when Henry knocked on the door and came in before she could open it knowing that he was always welcome in her home.

"You know, you don't have to pretend you have something to show me to keep me away from the search for Regina. I wasn't going to look for her, I was going to stay at Granny's like I promised mom I would." Henry told her when he came in.

"I wasn't pretending, look at what was dropped in front of my door earlier this afternoon." Bella announced, showing the book and the bag to Henry before describing to him what happened earlier with the old man.

While Henry, really interested, examined the new book, Bella looked at the bag. It looked ancient, fancy, expensive and really well taken care of. It was just big enough to hold one storybook and nothing else and it made her wonder if maybe it had been made to protect just this book, just for her.

"It's so cool! You know what it means?" Henry asked her.

"That I have magic?" She asked him back with a smile.

"No! I mean yes but that's not what I mean. It means that your father is somehow watching over you and that he did this to help you because he couldn't be there. It also mean that this old man knows him." Henry explained.

"I know, but looking for him will have to wait. Emma and the entire town is currently looking for Regina before she hurts someone else. We have to prioritize." Bella told Henry who nodded, understanding what she meant but he also made a mental note to keep an eye open for this man on his own.

 **.The Sorcerer's thoughts.**

 _I couldn't help but smile at Henry's enthusiasm. I really hope he looks for my faithful apprentice and finds him._

 _I knew that my daughter was ready to learn magic, her very instincts were pushing her to master her powers and I was finally able to help her. The light that shone in her eyes as she discussed the book with young Henry gave me hope and made me smile. She was perfect and I knew that she'd learn how to use magic very quickly._

 _It will also be perfect to help her move on from August. I tried looking into the future but it's foggy, undecided. I have a feeling that she'll see August again, that somehow, he will turn back into a man sooner than naturally planned but will it be for good or temporary? Will it only hurt her some more? August wasn't a perfect man, but I thought that he was perfect for my baby girl. They made a great couple and he would have guided her on the right track. I was considering making him an Author until Henry grew old enough... Blue really screwed up and I can't wait to be able to show her true face to everyone._

 _I don't know if Emma will eventually learn how to use her powers but for the time being, I wanted to concentrate on my daughter and watch her as she read about me and other powerful beings._

* * *

 **What do you think of this book? I wish I had a copy of it at home ;-)**

 **Most of you guessed what was Blue's secret.**

 **A little review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 19:**

When she escaped her padded cell, Regina went straight to her house, ready to throw a fireball at whoever would have dared moving in during her absence and once she made sure that it was empty, that nobody had dared moved in what was rightfully hers in her mind, she rushed to her vault. Since nobody had had the idea to place guards in front of it, she was able to find everything she had left behind and to plot her revenge quietly. It needed to be good, definitive and it needed to hurt everyone that had gone against her. At this point, she didn't even care if she lost Henry for good. He had failed her too. He was never able to love her or trust her so why waist her time? She'd be able to adopt another child later, or maybe even to break the curse she had placed on herself. She didn't care about the price of magic anymore, someone else could pay it.

Determined and confident that she'd get what she wanted, Regina finally found what she was looking for: an old hat box that she had stolen from Jefferson when she condemned him to live in Wonderland with her mother all those years ago. She knew enough to know how it worked and it was perfect for what she had planned. Their land was gone, Rumple had told her so before she cast her curse. All she had to do was send Emma and Bella through this portal. Without them to lift everyone's feelings up and to spread hope, she'd be able to gain control over the town once more. Snow White and her husband wouldn't fight her for long, they'd be too heartbroken over the death of their daughter.

.

"What's going on? Any signs of Regina?" Bella asked Emma when she called to say that Henry needed to stay away a while longer.

"Yes, she's been seen in the woods near her vault, we're going to try and get her now." Emma told her friend.

"I'll drop Henry off with Granny and be right there." Bella told Emma who in turn gave her a more precise location.

Before dropping Henry off, Bella grabbed a backpack and placed the book she had just received inside along with a bottle of water and a few snacks, just in case the chase lasted longer than planned. She was about to go when she noticed a knife that August had forgotten at her place when he had engraved her desk to personalize it. With a smile, she placed it in her belt, thinking that it might be useful at some point.

When she arrived, Bella saw that there was just Emma, her parents and Graham there.

"Where is everyone else?" Bella asked, knowing that a large group was looking for Regina throughout the day.

"Leroy and the other dwarfs went to finish the cell so we can lock Regina without her breaking out again. Gold went to help them to speed things up." Snow replied.

"Sounds to me like we might actually need Gold's help to stop her, especially if she has magic." Bella frowned.

"We've stopped her before without his help, we'll be fine, don't worry. They'll join us when they're done." Snow replied confidently, trying not to think about the fact that before, when they had stopped her, they had fairy dust on their side.

"I wish I'd had more time to read the book about magic that was dropped in front of my door, I'd be able to fight against her. So far all I've read is that Love is the key to my magic." Bella commented.

"Too bad you won't get to try it out then. I hear you lost your new found love. Too sad really, I would have cried if I had cared." Regina's voice rang behind them.

After that, everything happened very quickly. They all turned around and while David and Graham took their guns out and pointed them at the Evil Queen from different sides, Regina threw the hat on the ground, making it turn as she did. She immediately backed off and watched with great satisfaction as Bella first, then Emma, were sucked inside the hat. Graham, David and Snow had been too far to be affected by it but Snow rushed. She reached the hat too late to catch her daughter so she jumped right after her, screaming that she couldn't lose her daughter again. Graham managed to get a hold of Regina who couldn't move her arms and had trouble using magic as freely as she did in the enchanted forest.

When Snow jumped, Gold and Leroy arrived and managed to hold Regina back with Graham. David didn't waste any time and tried to jump after his wife but the portal had already closed off and he fell over the hat, breaking it.

"Where did you send them?" David yelled in Regina's direction.

"Home." Regina smirked.

"I thought it was destroyed!" Leroy exclaimed angrily.

"It is. They're dead." Regina replied, still smirking.

"No, it's not. I told you that it was destroyed but I lied. Our land is fine. Maybe in bad shape, maybe with broken castles and broken houses, maybe invaded by ogres in some places but it's still there and they survived the landing. I'm sure they'll be fine. They'll survive and find a way to reach us, to come back to us." Gold replied, reassuring David and taking Regina in.

"So you're going to work with the heroes now? You really think you can do it?" Regina asked him as they led her away.

"I'm going to do what's necessary to help my friend, Bella, and I'll do my best to do things the right way, for my Love, Belle. I'll do what I can to make sure than when I find my son, he can be proud of me." Gold replied.

"Oh, so you managed to make a friend and everything changes? I don't believe it. You'll be back on the bad side, I know it." Regina declared before he used magic the shut her up.

"We'll take her to the cell David. Don't worry." Leroy assured the prince.

"I'll go with them to make sure she can't escape anymore" Graham added, looking at a distraught David.

"Find me at Granny's later? We need to tell Henry what happened." David replied with a nod.

"Of course." Graham nodded back.

In the short time since he had moved in with the entire Charming family, he had become a full part of this family and he wanted to be there for Emma's son and her father until she came back, because he knew that she would.

.

Henry was quietly reading at Granny's dinner, ready to hear that Regina was under control and that he had nothing to fear anymore. When he saw David getting out of his truck, he smiled, only to frown a few seconds later when he realized that his grandfather was alone and looking worried.

"What's going on? Where's mom and Bella and grandma?" Henry asked, running to David and catching the attention of everyone in the dinner.

"Regina used Jefferson's old hat to open a portal to the Enchanted Forest. Bella fell in first. Emma tried to hold her back and fell right behind her. Snow jumped in not to leave them alone. I tried to follow them but the portal was closing down and it broke the hat. Don't worry though, I'm sure they're fine." David explained.

"What about Regina? Did she escape again?" Henry asked.

"No, we've got her. Graham is taking her to her new cell with Leroy. Gold went to check on Belle and to look for a way for us to communicate with your mother." David replied.

"Bella has her new book about magic with her she'll use magic." Henry assured him.

"I doubt she can open a portal through realms. They'll need something else." David shook his head.

"She did the hat for Jefferson, with the right material she can make another one back there and bring them here." Henry nodded.

"I like that you have faith, kid. You're right, they'll probably be home soon." David nodded before they both sat down and ordered hot cocoa while waiting for Graham to join them.

.

As soon as he had checked on Belle and told her what had happened, asking her to start researching for ways to contact the missing women, Gold went back to check that Regina had been placed in her jail cell. When he arrived, they were trying to push her inside but she was resisting with every bit of strengths she had.

"How is it going?" he asked Graham.

"She tries to resist but thanks to that bracelet you've procured for us, she can't use magic." Graham replied.

"She can't take it off either, not unless someone does it willingly for her." Gold added with a smile.

"Good to know." Regina smirked as she was about to enter her cell.

"Nobody will be able to open this cell for you, not without the five keys." Leroy replied with a confident smile, not revealing that the keys would be spread between David, Gold, Graham, himself and Granny.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that I came ready." Regina replied before managing to free one hand long enough to reach inside her pocket.

There, she grabbed the sleeping powder she had hidden and threw it around her, glad she had thought of it and taken an antidote. Quickly, they all fell to the ground, even Gold and she was able to run away. Of course she couldn't use magic, she couldn't take off that bracelet that Gold had cursed on her but at least she was free. The day the Evil Queen would rot in a jail cell hadn't come yet.

A few minutes later, Gold was the first one to come to and the first thing he did was to use his magic to awake the others.

"Where's she?" Leroy growled.

"She ran." Gold stated.

"At least she can't use magic." Graham sighted.

"Yeah, the town is relatively safe. Right?" Leroy asked Gold.

"Yes. I think warning people that she's out but can't use magic will be enough for now. Our priority should be to find a way to contact Bella and the others." Gold replied, surprising them all.

"You really care about Bella, don't you?" Graham realized.

"She gave me a real chance, trusted me and treated me like anyone else, without assuming I'd do wrong or betray her just because I'm the Dark One. She trusted me to help her, didn't lie to me, didn't try to use me and she helped me get my Belle back. She's one of the best people's I've met and one of my best friends. She helped Belle get acclimated and became her friend. She gave me hope that my son might be able to forgive me. She'll always be important for me and my family." Rumpelstiltskin replied.

"Let's hope they'll be fine wherever they landed." Leroy nodded, accepting that the Dark One was changing and that he could be trusted, at least in some circumstances.

.

As soon as she was away from her captors, Regina rushed in her house and locked the door. She might not have her powers but she had a few potions that she could use around her house and she used them to block her house's entrance to anyone she didn't invite in. Even Henry wouldn't be able to come in and get his things, not that there was much left according to what she had seen when she checked the house earlier.

.

When he joined Henry and David, Graham told them the bad news and even though Regina was free once more, the town wasn't too scared. They had faith in David to lead them and to protect them. As for David, as long as Regina behaved, he didn't see a reason to humiliate her further and drag her down to jail once more. He knew that already she wouldn't be welcome anywhere and have to run and hide. Right now, they needed to focus on getting Snow, Emma and Bella back to them.

 ** _.The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _Regina crossed the line once more. I know that she can be redeemed but I don't know if she'll ever get there. Maybe it's my fault, maybe I should have done something a long time ago, when I had the chance._

 _I can't help but smile at Rumpelstiltskin's actions and about what he said concerning my daughter. I knew there was hope for him and he just proved it. As long as he doesn't betray my daughter, I will also believe in him and in his redemption. Maybe he will be the one to hold the power of the Dark One and to clean it, make it light again and undo what Nimue created. I guess only time will tell._

 _Before I went to check on my daughter, I sent a message to my apprentice to ask him to keep an eye out on the very promising young boy that is Henry. I can feel that he is destined for great things, far more than being simply my author, and with Emma missing and David concentrating on bringing them back, I want to make sure that he's fine._

* * *

 **What did you think of this one? Sorry for the delay but life is busy right now and writing takes me longer these days. On the plus side, I have several ideas down for new stories. I'll try to work on them all so they can be ready as soon as possible, but it will take a while still.**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20:**

Bella was the first one to land, followed quickly by Emma and Snow. Her first thought was that she was grateful that they didn't fall on top of her but by her side.

The first thing she saw was the grass, mainly because she faced the ground. Looking up, she could see trees on one side and what looked like a small village on the other. She could hear birds singing and water running from a distance and realized that there definitely weren't home anymore. Plus, her cell phone was already bipping, warning her that she didn't have any reception at the moment.

"Where are we?" Emma asked as the three of them got up carefully, checking that they weren't injured.

"Not in Storybrook anymore." Bella stated.

"The Enchanted Forest, we're back." Snow replied, recognizing her home land immediately.

When she spotted the smoke coming out of one of the houses near their location, Snow felt reassured. Regina hadn't destroyed the people she hadn't brought back with her. They had survived. Maybe everything wasn't fine or easy for them but at least they were alive and they didn't have Regina to worry about.

"We should go and see who's over there, maybe someone will be able to help us get back home." Snow suggested.

"What about the wardrobe? The one you used to send Emma away from the curse. Can't we use that?" Bella asked.

"The magic from the wardrobe is long gone now. It could only bring one." Snow shook her head.

"Actually it brought two. Me and August." Emma corrected her mother, remembering the book.

"According to the book I just got, the one about magic, powerful magical objects always keep some of their magic. In Henry's storybook, there's a lake that can restore anything. I know it's dried up but if we dig, we might be able to get more water. We just need to see if the wardrobe survived." Bella suggested.

"I like her idea." Emma nodded.

"Alright then. Let's go to that settlement over there to get everything we'll need for the road and we'll go." Snow agreed.

"Need? What can we need?" Emma asked her mother.

"Weapons and food for starter." Snow reminded Emma who nodded, realizing that her gun might not be enough for this town.

"You think we might encounter danger on the way?" Bella asked Snow.

"We don't know what's happened since the curse. The Ogres might be back. There might be thieves or worst. We need to be prepared for just about anything." Snow replied.

"I think I should try and do magic on the way. Concentrate, see how it works." Bella suggested.

"Good idea. If you have it, we might need it." Snow nodded.

"You did Jefferson's hat." Emma told Bella.

"I know, I was there." Bella smiled, not seeing where Emma was getting.

"I mean that you could do another one here, for us to use and go home." Emma added.

"Good idea but I'd need things… I don't know if we'll be able to get them here. When I did Jefferson's hat, he had a small piece from his old hat, one that still had a bit of magic, that I placed on the new one. If we manage to find the wardrobe, maybe use the magic left in it to place it in the hat so it's connected to something that was already a magical portal before." Bella replied, pointing to the village.

She remembered reading that part in the book, it was the first thing she had looked for. If she understood things well, she'd need to make the hat and connect it with something that used to be part of a magical portal. She remembered reading that magic would be able to reproduce itself and to spread around on the non magical items. All it needed was a little bit of it. A small piece of magic from the wardrobe would reproduce in the hat until it formed a fully magical hat, like it did for Jefferson's hat. She was confident that it would work, that she could do it again.

"We might find what you need in the castle. We had a hat maker there. He didn't spend much time in the castle but he had his own room." Snow declared.

"Good. Then we have two reasons to go there." Bella and Emma nodded.

"Maybe we should keep the second reason secret, just in case." Emma suggested.

"If you think it's best." Snow nodded.

The three women went in town and quickly learned that the Ogres were back and that they had all been frozen during the time Storybrook was cursed. They were able to load on weapons and supplies and went on the road once Snow learned where they had landed exactly. They didn't see the blacksmith listening to them explain their situation to the merchant and they didn't see the elder woman hiding her face near them. They didn't notice them exchange a victorious look and they didn't notice them meet a few steps away.

"Pack quickly Captain, we'll follow them for the time being. Let them do all the work for now. We need to leave soon though, I want to keep an eye on them on the way." Cora ordered the one handed man who smirked and replied:

"Aye, let's go."

Killian had allied himself with Cora by interest, she was the only one he could think off that could help bring him to his only goal: to get revenge on the man who killed Milah and took his hand. But now that Snow White and the two other young women were here, looking for a way back to their home, the same one as Rumpelstiltskin, he needed to be on the lookout for any opportunity that might rise up. Maybe he'd be able to make another deal with them, maybe they'd be able to bring him to the Dark One faster.

.

Snow naturally took the lead in their trip. She had traveled a lot in this realm and knew her kingdom well. She knew the road they needed to take and both Bella and Emma knew that she'd be the best to show them how to evade the many dangers they'd encounter. While in Storybrook, Snow had been Mary-Margaret, a teacher, a peaceful woman that avoided conflicts. Here, in the Enchanted Forest, they could see the difference. She was Snow White again. A strong, confident woman who could defend herself and the people she care about.

Watching her mother in her element, in the forest, Emma had a hard time believing that it was the same woman she had met in Storybrook. There was a large difference between Mary-Margaret and Snow White. One was afraid of confrontation and the other one was a badass survivor that reminded her of herself.

"Bella, what are you doing staring at that mirror? Shouldn't you be watching your steps instead?" Emma asked her.

"I'm trying to enchant it so I can contact Storybrook. They need to know that we're fine and that we have a plan. Maybe Gold will even have some ideas to speed things up." Bella replied.

"Good thinking." Snow nodded.

"How is it going then? You managed to make it work?" Emma asked Bella.

"I think I'm getting there. It light up earlier and a few minutes ago I think I saw the reflection of something that definitely wasn't my face. I'll just keep on trying until I do it. Thanks to this book I know that I can do it, that it's in me." Bella replied confidently.

She wanted to add that it was also in Emma but she knew that her friend wasn't ready to believe.

They kept on walking and, sometimes, Snow would stop and make them rest a little before they started walking again.

"How much farther is it?" Emma asked.

"We were pretty far from it. I think we'll get there in two days if we keep this up and if we don't cross any obstacles." Snow replied.

"And by obstacles you mean…"

"Ogres, thieves, monsters..." Snow smiled.

"Bad guys." Emma finished.

.

In Storybrook, Maleficent had just learned everything that happened between Regina, Bella and the others. Nobody had even thought to ask her if she wanted to help find Regina, which she would have. Though she understood why they'd think she wouldn't want to help given her past reputation. When it happened, she had been reading in her room, she hadn't been busy. She could have helped. Now her first friend in this town was trapped in the Enchanted Forest looking for a way back.

"Charming?"

"What do you want Maleficent? Now isn't the time." He replied as he made his way to the Mayor office after leaving Graham at the sheriff's station and Henry at school.

"I know, I just learned what happened with Bella, Emma and your wife." She replied.

"And you wanted to tell me you think it was well deserved?" he asked her sarcastically.

"Of course not! Bella became my friend. Had I known Regina had broken free, I would have joined the search party and helped, please believe me."

"I do." He finally nodded.

David couldn't help but notice that Maleficent looked sincere. She didn't look like an evil sorceress anymore, she just looked like any other normal woman. She was trying to change and he had to do the right thing and give her a chance, believe in her the way Bella did.

"I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help bring them back. Not that I know any magic about crossing realms, I never looked into it, but I might be able to help still." She asked him.

"I honestly don't know. I have to go and run the town, Gold and Belle are taking care of the research to bring them back. Maybe you should go and see with them if they need help. I'm sure they'll appreciate the extra set of eyes and I can't really imagine you mining for fairy dust with the dwarfs." David explained, finishing with a little smile.

His smile wasn't mocking, it was a sincere amused smile that made her smile right back.

"Thank you, I'll go there right now. Will they be at the Pawnbroker shop?" She asked him with a smile, happy to be able to help.

"No, they settled at the library to have more space. Henry will join them over there after school and I think Archie and a few others will head over there to help as well as soon as they have the time. They brought all of Gold's books there."

"I'll go right away then. Thank you." She nodded before she walked away, surprising David in her calm behavior and willingness to help him after what he and Snow had done to her baby.

Shaking his head to get his head back in the game, David walked into the city hall, inside Regina's mayor's office. There, Ruby was already waiting for him. She had agreed to go from him to the mines to the library to bring news and whatever people needed. It was her own way to help until they were in need of her special set of skills.

.

Snow had showed Emma how to build a fire for them to spend the night while Bella kept on trying to make the mirror work. So far, she had managed to reach into the world of Storybrook, she just needed to reach a mirror with someone she knew and trusted near enough to it so they could hear her.

She cried out in joy when she finally saw a surprised Granny looking back at her. After assuring the old woman that they were all fine, she asked Granny to call Gold and ask him to go near a mirror with David and Henry, allowing her to speak with them.

Happy to have done it, Bella let Snow and Emma reconnect with David, Henry and Graham before she spoke with Gold and they told him that they had a plan.

"Don't tell us what it is, you never know who's listening, especially on your end." Gold warned her.

"Alright." Snow nodded.

"But we'll all keep a mirror with us until you come back, don't hesitate to call if you have a question or a problem." Gold added.

"Will do, thanks." Emma nodded.

"Do you have any advice until then?" Bella asked him.

"Keep on practicing your magic. You're on the right track. If you managed to connect a mirror, you should be able to do most anything basic. Start a fire, move things, defend yourself. Practice, concentrate on love and believe. That's the most important, with your kind of magic at least." Gold replied.

"Just like it says in my book." Bella smiled.

After that, Gold went back to his house and Bella let Emma use the mirror to speak with her son and her boyfriend before she enchanted another, smaller, mirror for Snow to use with David while she read a bit more of the book and rested.

The next day, they left at dawn and walked for a while until they were ambushed by a group of men. As it turned out, they were Robin Hood's merry men and once Snow introduced herself and explained what she was trying to do, Robin offered his help, pointing out that once upon a time, their faces were seen side by side on _Wanted_ posters.

"If you want, you could come with us too. We would welcome you in Storybrook and you'd have an easier life. At least we'd find you a place with running water away from ogres and other monsters." Emma offered after Robin explained the kind of life they had since the curse.

"Thank you, that's a nice offer, princess." Robin replied with a smile while his son stayed close to him.

"I didn't know the Merry men accepted women." Bella commented when she spotted a woman among the men.

"I'm the exception. My name's Mulan." The merry woman replied.

"Mulan? I love the movie we have about you in our world. I'd love to get to know you and see what they got right and what they got wrong." Bella smiled invitingly.

"Well, I'd like to help you in your quest to go home, we can get to know each other on the way. I can't go with you though, once you go back to your home, I'll go back to traveling until I find where I'm supposed to be." Mulan nodded, curious about the strangely dressed women and the world they came from.

In the end, Mulan, Robin, his son, Little John, Friar Tuck and a couple of other Merry men joined them, the other deciding to stay there and keep on doing what they did in the Enchanted Forest.

"Say Robin, was Will Scarlet a member of your group? I mean, in the stories we have in our world he is but sometimes they get things wrong." Bella asked him.

"He was until he betrayed us and stole magic for his own gain, why?" Robin asked her.

"He's in Storybrook." Bella replied.

"She dated him." Emma added with an amused smile.

"It's over though." Snow completed, amusing Little John.

"I guess everyone deserves a second chance." Robin replied, agreeing not to be openly angry at Will if he was to cross him.

"Mulan, according to the storybook we have, you met with Belle and ended up traveling with Prince Philip. Where is he now?" Bella asked the warrior woman.

"When the curse broke and we all unfroze, we went to find his princess Aurora. He kissed her, waking her up from her long slumber, and they went back in their castle. They're fixing it up, trying to make their land and their people alive and happy again." Mulan replied.

"Good, Maleficent will be relieved to know that Aurora has managed to get her happy ending after all." Bella smiled.

"I wouldn't be so sure. She's the one who cursed them both." Mulan shook her head.

"You don't know her. She's changed. She wants to find her daughter and be happy. She's my friend now and is even helping Charming and Gold to get us back. Everyone can change if you give them a chance to." Bella replied.

"I don't believe that everyone can change. Some people are too far gone." Mulan shook her head with a serious look on her face.

"You just need to have faith and find out why they went dark. Most of the time, all they need is Love, or for someone to believe in them." Bella smiled.

"Bella is good at giving people second chances and helping them change." Emma added.

.

"This is getting ridiculous, how many more people are they going to take with them!" Cora exclaimed angrily when she realized, the next night, that Snow White and her 2 friends were now traveling with a few of the Merry Men and Mulan.

"Maybe we should just ask them kindly to take us with them as well. Say that we heard rumors that they were trying to leave this land and that we'd like to have the same opportunity." Hook suggested, half serious, as he took a drink from his flask.

"Don't be ridiculous, Snow knows me well. She'd never agree to take me with them." Cora shook her head.

"You could disguise yourself." He suggested.

"That Bella girl has magic and even though she refuses to admit it, the other one, Snow's daughter, has magic as well. They'll be able to tell I'm not showing my true face." Cora shook her head.

"Tell me Cora, why do you hate Snow White so much? She doesn't look that bad." Hook asked her, thinking that Snow's two traveling companions were quite to his taste.

He had an inner debate going on to decide which one he liked the most. For now it was the brunette that was in the lead but the blond intrigued him as well. They both had a different yet similar spark to them and he felt drawn to the group. He wanted to get to know them but he had to concentrate on his revenge and on the best way to get it.

"It's not her that I hate, it's what she represents. I hated her mother, she ruined my life, and I thought I'd be satisfied after killing her but I was wrong. I want to ruin Eva's legacy. I want to darken Snow's heart until her mother's legacy is completely gone. I'll darken the heart of her daughter too, before I kill her, if I can." Cora replied, already seeing everything done in her head.

"What about the other one?" hook asked her, pointing to Bella with his Hook.

"I'll simply kill her. Rip her heart out and destroy it in front of her friends. Then I'll use their portal to go to my daughter and get everything I ever wanted." Cora explained with a smile.

Hook smiled as well but he couldn't help but feel that he was on the wrong team. He hated the idea of any woman losing her heart, or having it crushed. It was the way his love died and he didn't want to see any of these women die this way. While Cora settled for the night, he took another drink from his flask, debating on what his next move needed to be. Cora had a goal and she had managed to make him think that they could work together, that they were going for the same goal but he could now see that it was far from the truth. Cora wouldn't hesitate to step over him if it helped her get to her daughter, so why should he be loyal to her?

* * *

 _ **Will Cora follow them home or will she be discovered and stopped before? What do you think will happen next?**_

 _ **Review please!**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21:**

The next day Snow and her traveling companions managed to make the rest of the way to the castle and they arrived right before nightfall.

"I can't help but feel like we're being followed." Robin whispered in Snow's ear as they entered the castle.

"Me too. I've been feeling it for the past few hours." Snow nodded.

"I'll keep watch at the door with my men." Robin offered.

"Okay, be careful." Snow nodded.

"You too. Can you take Roland with you? He'll be safer inside." He asked her.

"Of course." She nodded before she led Bella, Roland, Emma and Mulan inside.

First, she led Bella to the hat making room, where she found the equipment she needed. It was dusty and a lot of the fabric stored there were ruined but there was enough left so that Bella would be able to make what she needed. The hat didn't need to be pretty or in fashion, she just needed it to be whole, and to work.

"I'll get started immediately." Bella nodded.

"I'll stay and keep watch here with her." Mulan decided.

"Okay, we'll come back here after we've checked Emma's baby room. If you're done before we're back, it's on the first floor, turn left, then right, then it's the third door on the right. Her name is written in pink on the door." Snow told the two young women before she led Roland and Emma upstairs.

Emma was a bit nervous to see what should have been her home growing up and she could see that her mother was sad to see the state of her castle, the place that should have been her home. As soon as they pushed the doors to enter her baby room, Emma could see how much it hurt her mother to see everything destroyed. It also helped her see how much it had hurt them to send her away from them. They had prepared everything for her. Around the room, she could see the remains of all kind of toys. There was even a dollhouse in a corner. She would have been happy growing up there.

"I was going to teach you how to walk in here. Help you get ready for your first ball, your first date. I was going to brush your hair in front of that mirror, tell you stories in that chair…" Snow stated in a sad voice.

"It's a pretty room. I would have loved to grow up there." Emma smiled sincerely, trying to hide her emotions.

"Can I play with this?" Roland asked Snow in a shy voice, pointing to a small teddy bear that only had one eye missing.

"You can even keep it if you want." Snow nodded.

While Snow went to check over the wardrobe, Emma bent down to speak to Roland:

"Can you do something for me, kid?"

"Sure." He nodded, eager to help.

His eagerness to help and be a hero reminded her of Henry and made her smile. She missed her son.

"Can you look around for me and check if you can find anything I could keep as a souvenir? Something small and not too broken?" She asked him softly, thinking that, in case they couldn't come back here, she'd want to take something with her.

"Sure, I can do that!" Roland nodded happily.

Emma smiled and went to join her mother near the wardrobe.

"Wow, I really traveled in this thing?" She asked, trying to keep a neutral voice.

In this room, Snow was seeing everything she had missed with her daughter. Emma was seeing what her life could have been like growing up. She could see a life were she would have been loved and desired. A life where she would have been happy and safe, always. A life with loving parents that would have always been there for her. She could imagine her life as a princess.

"It's going to be heavy. I don't know how we'll get this out of the castle, let alone all the way to the lake." Emma shook her head.

"I don't even know if Bella's right about it still being magic." Snow shook her head.

"She's usually right about these things. If she says it still has some magic, then it probably does." Emma smiled at her mother before she turned around and watched as Roland looked around the room for her.

He had a small diadem in one hand and was still looking for more. The bear he wanted to keep was resting nicely near the wardrobe.

"With the help of Robin and his men we should have no problem carrying it out and to the lake. Unless Bella has another plan… I don't know what part she wants to use." Snow replied, still inspecting the thing.

"Or you can step back and let me have it." A strong feminine voice stated from the doorway.

.

Cora didn't waste any time entering the castle while Hook distracted the merry men and attacked them, on his own. She didn't really care if he made it or not, all she wanted was for him to provide her with some of the help she wanted. Quickly, not looking back to check on Hook, she climbed the steps that led to the baby room, knowing she'd find Snow there.

Standing behind hidden in the corridor, Cora could hear Emma and Snow talking about what they'd do with the wardrobe and decided that now would be the best time to show herself.

"Or you can step back and let me have it." She declared.

"Cora!" Snow exclaimed, motioning for Roland and Emma to stand behind her.

"Regina's mother?" Emma asked and Snow answered with a nod.

"What do you want with this wardrobe?" Snow asked Cora, making sure that Roland was safe.

Smart, the little boy had grabbed a piece of wood to protect himself, brandishing it like it was a shield. His father had prepared him well in case they faced an enemy.

"To go home to my daughter of course." Cora smirked.

"What makes you think that she'd even want to see you?" Snow asked, trying to gain time while help came.

"I'm her mother, she needs me. Especially now that her precious curse was broken and that she has been defeated by you lot. When I bring her your heart as a gift, she'll be happy to see me." Cora replied with a smirk.

"I won't let you get there." Emma snapped, stepping forward to be side by side with her mother.

The wardrobe was behind Snow and Roland had slowly made his way behind a broken shelf, knowing he needed to get away from the evil woman.

"How will you stop me now?" Cora asked her, using her magic to make Emma's gun disappear.

"We'll find a way." Snow replied while Emma hesitantly took the sword her mother had forced her to take at the market from its resting place at her belt.

"You'll try, that I believe, Snow. But you'll fail, you'll lose and I'll be on my way to Storybrook." Cora stated like it was evident.

"I won't let you!" Emma snapped before Cora, tired of talking, tried sending fireballs on Snow, who defended herself with her sword.

While her mother and Cora fought, Emma did the only thing she could think of: she burnt down the wardrobe. She'd rather be stuck in the Enchanted Forest than let Cora go to Storybrook, where Henry, her father and Graham were waiting.

"Now you won't." Emma smirked, watching the fire that quickly burnt the wardrobe.

"No! You stupid woman! You'll pay for this, it isn't over!" Cora exclaimed, enraged, before she left in a cloud of smoke.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't let her get to Henry." Emma told her mother.

"I know, don't worry. We'll find another way. Are you okay Roland?"

"Yes. I'm fine." The boy nodded as he left his hiding place.

He was sad to see that the little toy he wanted to keep was now on fire along with the wardrobe but he knew that it didn't matter.

"Emma, you stay here with Roland, I'll go down to check on Robin and Bella. Close the door behind me and lock it. Only open it if it's me, Robin or Bella asking and only if you're sure it's us." Snow ordered before she left, ready for another fight.

.

Bella went to work on the hat as soon as Snow had left the room while Mulan kept watch.

"Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid? Relax a little, Mulan." Bella told her new friend while she cut some fabric.

She didn't need the hat to be pretty but since there was some pretty fabric to choose from, she did the best she could.

"We were being followed earlier today, I could swear it. We never know who might be trying to stop us. When on a mission this important, we always need to be on our guards." Mulan replied in a tone a teacher would use to speak to his student.

"If you say so." Bella smiled.

.

While Bella was working hard on the hat, Hook had lead Robin and his men away from the gates and managed to enter the castle on his own, without hurting anyone or getting hurt. Instead of going up, where he could hear voices and fighting in the distance, he went another way, where his instinct guided him. He could hear voices there too, only calmer, more relaxed.

As silently as he could, he approached to see Mulan, the woman Warrior, guarding a door while Bella, the brunette, was inside, doing something obviously important.

Hook was silently trying to figure out the best plan of attack when Mulan stood straighter and motioned to her companion to be silent.

"What is it?" Bella asked in a lower voice.

"Someone else is here." Mulan replied.

"Maybe Emma and Snow are done and coming down to look for us." Bella suggested, not worried.

"No, they'd call out for us, so would Robin and his men." Mulan shook her head.

"Okay, so we're worried then?" Bella asked.

Hook saw Mulan nod and was about to step back when he felt a sword against his back.

"You don't move. Mulan, over here!" Snow White called out.

Soon, Hook was tied up to a chair, surrounded by merry men while Mulan and Roland were still with Bella, who was finishing whatever she had started.

"I'm going back up, Bella thinks that she can use the ashes from the wardrobe." Emma told them as she passed in front of them on her way up.

"Now back to our guest. Who are you and why were you following us?" Robin Hood asked him.

"Why were you working with Cora?" Snow added.

"Fine, my name is Killian Jones, most people know me as Hook though. I was working with Cora because she said she could get me to your world, where I'd be able to get my revenge on the man who took my hand. Obviously she left me behind. If you can offer me the same deal, I can help you as well." He replied.

"We don't need your help, we have everything we need." Snow shook her head.

"You may have found a portal, but are you sure it'll take you to where you want to go? I can get you to a compass that will be able to guide you through the portal." He replied, desperate to convince her.

"Keep him here, I'll go and ask Bella about it." Snow declared and Robin nodded.

Snow White explained to Bella what Hook had told them and Bella was thoughtful for a minute.

"It might be a good idea to use it. Jefferson was able to make his Hat go wherever he wanted but he was used to it, he had years of practice behind him to master the art of portal jumping. This compass could help us make sure we land in Storybrook and not someplace else." Bella replied.

"Alright, I'll take his deal then." Snow nodded just as Bella came back with a bucket full of ashes.

"Take whose deal?" Emma asked.

"I'll explain on the way up, you can listen to what he says and tell me if he's lying or not." Snow told her daughter.

"How are you going to use the ashes?" Roland asked Bella, sitting on a tool next to her and watching her with great interest.

"Look. I'm going to us magic to separate the magical ashes from the rest, then I'll place these ashes inside the hat liner." Bella replied kindly before she concentrated and managed to make a handful of sparkly pink ash fly away from the rest.

With a triumphant smile, she guided them to where she wanted them and finished closing the hat.

"Now we just need to wait until the ashes' magic replicates and contaminates the rest of the hat." Bella smiled.

"Cool!" Roland exclaimed.

Roland managed to find a hatbox that was still in good shape and they placed to finished hat inside before they joined the others just in time to witness Emma, Snow, Robin and Hook sealing their deal.

"So, what now?" Bella asked.

"Now we go see a giant about a compass milady." Hook replied flirtingly.

"That's so cool!" Roland whispered, making Bella chuckle.

Obviously the kid was happy to be living adventures.

"Before we go, Isn't there anything you want to take with you? I can miniaturize it until we get home if you want." Bella told Emma and Snow.

"Roland found what I needed. It's in my bag." Emma replied, thinking of the diadem and the almost unbroken princess doll he had found for her.

"I… No, nothing." Snow shook her head.

Truthfully, she wanted to take a lot with her but she wouldn't know where to put it once they got back home.

"Are you sure mom? We might not be able to come back." Emma told her.

"Actually if we can use the hat to go back home, we should be able to use it to come back here later." Bella corrected.

"We'll see later then. But maybe we should go and load on weapons." Snow replied, leading them in the right direction before they started walking to the beanstalk.

"I'll wait here and call Gold with the mirror, see if he has any suggestion to stop Cora." Bella told them.

"I'll stay with her. I have everything I need." Mulan replied, enjoying spending time with the young woman.

 ** _.The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _I'm very proud of the way my daughter acted and made the hat. I can see it work._

 _What I don't like is the pirate joining them. Of course he's not that bad of a person, he has some redeeming qualities and could become a good person if he chose to but would he want to?_ _I see him flirt with my daughter and Emma and wonder if he's just trying to get on their good side or if he truly likes one of them..._

 _I don't know what to think of the growing friendship between my daughter and Mulan. I can see that to Mulan, it's more than friendship but it's too soon for Bella, she still thinks of August, she still loves him dearly._

 _All I can do for now is watch and hope for the best. Hope that Cora stays out of their ways, hope that my daughter's heart stays strong, hope that magic will work the right way and stay on their side, hope that everything will go fine with the giant in that castle in the clouds._

* * *

 ** _Another chapter... Sorry for the delay. I had writer's block for a while there working on the next chapter. It's solved now but I changed the way this story was going (changed 2 points that are kind of important: someone who was supposed to live will die and someone will be paired up with someone else.) Right now I have 2 more chapters written and i'm working on the ext one. I'll try to update sooner._**

 ** _A little review please? Maybe it will help me wirte faster? ;-)_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22:**

"So, what did Gold have to say about Cora?" Emma asked Bella in a low voice so that only she and Mulan, who was by her side, could hear her question.

"Well, he totally agrees with our decision not to trust her and to think that she'll come back for us. He thinks that we can trap her in his old cell, the one your parents trapped him in before the curse. Inside, there's a scroll we need to get before we lock her in or she'll be able to get out. It's written in squid ink that we can use to paralyze her. Then we simply put her in the cell and she'll never be able to escape, not unless someone lets her out." Bella replied in an equally low voice.

"Do you think it'll work?" Mulan asked her.

"I do. I think we should separate once we get to the beanstalk. As soon as Hook gets up there with whoever we decide goes with him, a few of us should go to the cell and get the scroll. We need to be ready to fight her as soon as possible." Bella replied.

"Good idea." Emma nodded before she went to repeat everything to her mother while making sure that Hook, who was presently getting to know Robin Hood and Little John, couldn't hear them.

Once they arrived at the Beanstalk, it was decided that Robin would get up there with Hook, even though the pirate had hinted that he would have preferred Bella or Emma to go with him. As soon as the two men were out of sight, Little John, Mulan and Snow made their way to Rumpelstiltskin's old cell to get the scroll while the other waited at the foot of the beanstalk.

"Are you okay Bella?" Emma asked her while they waited by the fire.

"I'm fine. Just… I miss August… I thought it would be easier once I got back to my everyday life but it's not. Every day, in everything I do, I miss him by my side. I know that we weren't together that long but it felt as though we had been together forever. We would have lasted, I know it and now every time I do something, I can't help but wonder what he'd be doing. If he'd be here with us or stuck back in Storybrook with David, Henry and Graham…" Bella replied while watching Roland play on the other side of the fire to try and hide her emotions.

"I get it, but like my mother would tell you, it will all get better eventually." Emma assured her.

"I hope you're right." Bella smiled.

"Does it feel the same as a break up?" Emma asked her.

"No. Much different. I feel like he died, but he's still alive, only out of reach because of the age he has now. It's worst than a break up because I know that he still loved me and that he wanted a future with me just like I did. And it's worst than if he had died because he's still around, in a different form. It's hard to explain how I'm feeling." Bella tried to explain.

"Maybe you'll meet someone new." Emma suggested.

"Maybe, but I wonder if I'll ever love anyone the way I loved him. It felt so strong, so complete and final… Like it was the best love I'll ever have… I feel like there's no one else for me but do I feel like this because I'm still grieving or because of some magical instinct? I just… I'm confused." Bella asked her friend.

"I don't know. I wish I could answer you but I have no idea." Emma shook her head before snapping it to the left, along with Bella and everyone else in the camp, to look what the noise they just heard was.

.

While Hook and Robin were busy bonding and stealing a compass from a lonely and angry giant, Snow and her team had reached Rumpelstiltskin's old cell and were looking for the scroll while watching out for Cora and hoping she wouldn't attack them now.

"Can that scroll really stop the witch?" Little John asked Snow.

"Yes, are we sure that we can trust the Dark one's word?" Mulan added.

"We can. He's done terrible things in the past, we all know that but he's in love, trying to be a better man for the woman he loves. He also wants to find his son and wants to be able to prove to him that he's better. He's sincerely helping us. We can trust him." Snow nodded.

"Let's go then. Who knows what happened while we were gone." Mulan nodded while Snow hid the scroll between her breasts, where nobody would look for it.

.

When Snow, Mulan and Little John arrived, the camp was under attack. Bella was standing in front of Roland and using her magic the best way she could to keep their assailants away while everyone else fought. Immediately, the three of them jumped into action and tried to stop the people attacking their camp.

"Who are these people?" Snow asked.

"It looks like their hearts were ripped out. Cora's probably controlling them." Emma yelled back as she fought one of them.

"Where is she?" Mulan asked, looking around for the evil woman.

"Probably hiding and letting other people fight her battles for her." Bella replied angrily, hoping to provoke the woman if she was listening.

"No, I'm just waiting for them to clear the place for me." Cora announced, stepping out of a bush.

"What do you want?" Emma asked Cora while Snow circled her and took the scroll out, opened it and, before Cora could speak, used it to paralyze her.

"What now?" Bella asked.

"Now we take her back to Rumpelstiltskin's old cell and lock her up in it before the ink stops working and she attacks us again." Snow decided.

"I'll do it. I'm not coming with you anyway. I'll lock her in there and go on my way." Mulan offered.

"Don't you need help?" Bella asked her.

"No, I'll be fine, don't worry. I don't mind being on my own until I find where I'm supposed to be." Mulan replied.

"Well, if you ever have a way to visit us in Storybrook, you'll always be welcome. If the hat really works like I think it will, we'll be able to visit you as well." Bella told her as she hugged her new friend.

"I'll be waiting your visit then." Mulan smiled, hoping she'd see Bella again someday.

Before Mulan left, Bella gave her one of the enchanted mirror so she'd be able to contact them, even between realms. This way they'd stay in touch.

Bella and Mulan both remembered the previous night when, a little away from the campfire and the others, they had talked about their love lives and had exchanged a kiss or two. Bella had hoped it would help her forget about August a bit and, when it didn't, she apologized to Mulan for leading her on. Of course Mulan forgave her and told her that it was worth it and that they could still be friends. Mulan was a fighter and she wasn't about to give up on finding love, just because it was difficult.

.

In Storybrook, Henry had taken on a whole new mission that captured his entire focus: find Bella's father or, at least, the old man who had dropped the magic book in front of her door. It wasn't easy for him since he hadn't seen the man and only heard his description but he hoped that there wouldn't be too many old men with long white beard around town.

He proceeded patiently, following one trail after the other until he found the one he thought was the right one. Writing down the address the man lived at, Henry decided to wait until Bella was back, to be sure he was the right one. Then they'd go talk to him together and see what he knew about Bella's father, or what he was willing to tell them.

"Everything alright Henry? Ruby told me that she saw you lurking around here during one of her deliveries. Why are you spying on this old man?" Graham told him, surprising him by his presence.

"I think he's the one who dropped the magic book in front of Bella's door. He must know something about her father. I just found him. I'll wait until Bella comes back to talk to him though." Henry replied.

"It's best I think." Graham nodded before he added:

"Come on, jump in the patrol car with me. We'll go get some lunch before I drop you back up at school." The sheriff suggested and Henry nodded.

None of them noticed that the old man was watching them with an amused smile through his window. He was glad that Henry had found him, he wanted his mentor and friend to be reunited with his daughter and this young boy was the way, he knew it.

Still smiling, the apprentice went to his desk and started to write a letter for Henry explaining everything he needed to know, just in case something happened to him before they talked.

.

Once Hook and Robin came back down with the compass, they quickly packed up the camp while Bella used her magic to insert the compass in the hat and make it so it would always work with it.

"So, is it going to work, Love?" Hook asked her with a flirtatious smile that she didn't recognize.

"I think so. Are you sure you want to come with us though?" She asked him.

"I am. I want my revenge on the Dark One for what he did." Hook replied.

"He's changed. He found Love and is trying to be a better man. All he wants right now is a chance to find his son and tell him that he loves him." Bella informed him, hoping to change his mind.

"What makes you think that his son even wants to see him? Last time I saw the boy, he wanted to keep his father as far away from him as possible."

"It might change. Time and people change things. He deserves that chance. I know that as the Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin did a lot of wrong, but he's not responsible for everything. It's the result of his upbringing." Bella insisted.

"So I should just forgive and forget?" Hook asked her, his tone slightly snappy.

"Maybe just give him a chance to make peace with his son before you act on your revenge desire. Take this time to observe, see for yourself if he's really changed or not. Maybe you won't even recognize the man he's become." She suggested.

"Maybe." He nodded.

"Could you… Could you promise me not to try and use Belle against him?" Bella asked him.

"I've tried that once already. It didn't work." He simply replied.

"She's my friend too, she's innocent." Bella insisted.

"Fine, I promise you that I won't try to use her against him but if he tries to do anything against me, I will go back to my plans to kill that cowardly crocodile." Killian promised Bella.

"Sounds fair. Thank you. Apparently you're not that evil of a pirate after all. I knew I was right to believe that there was good in everyone. Are you just going to leave your ship behind though?" She asked him as the compass finally disappeared inside the hat, like it was dissolving inside it.

"I don't really have a choice, unless you have a way to bring it with us." He nodded.

"Well, I'm guessing your ship is important to you given the stories I've heard and read… Maybe I can miniaturize it so that it can fit in your pocket and make it big again once we arrive back home." She offered.

"That would be most appreciated. My ship isn't too far, a few hours walk maybe." He nodded.

"Well, we need to wait until the compass' power expends to the whole hat anyway so why not head this way in the mean time." Bella told him with a smile before she placed the hat back in its box and went to tell the others of their new plans.

Everyone understood and they started walking in the ship's direction while Snow used the mirror to contact her husband and told him that they should be able to make it home in a few hours.

In his pocket, the pirate wrapped his hand around the vial he had stolen from the giant, the one with the seed to grow more magic beans. Robin and he had had to fight the big man and ended up sticking him with a sword they found on the floor, with the name Jack on it. It must have been poisoned because it killed the giant very quickly. Robin and Killian, thieves by trait, took what they could carry that could be useful. Robin had taken the dried up bean and Killian the seed. Even if they didn't need it to leave this land, he could find a way to use it or trade it later. Of course, he had also gotten his hand on a few gold coins, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to fill his pockets. He knew that Robin had also taken a souvenir, for his son, but he hadn't seen what it was. Something small and shiny though.

They walked quietly, knowing that they'd soon be home.

David informed them that they had run into Regina and since she still couldn't use magic, they agreed to let her go free, as long as she tried to make it up to the people she'd hurt and that she didn't try to hurt anyone ever again. He also told them that, to prove that she just wanted a chance to be free and happy, she offered to let Robin Hood and his men stay at her house with her until they could find another place. Her house was big and if they still didn't have enough room, she said they could camp out in her garden. They were thankful and Robin accepted, happy to know that he'd have a better and safer place to raise his son. One without wild beasts running around.

. _The sorcerer's thoughts._

 _I was watching my daughter make her way to Captain Hook's ship with her friends when I felt the familiar sensation of a vision coming. I instantly knew that it had to do with my precious daughter._

 _I was right._

 _The vision was a short and confusing one though._

 _Bella was standing on a ship, it looked like the Jolly Roger but I guess all ships must look alike, right? I had no proof that it was the Jolly Roger. She didn't look much older than she was now and she looked very, VERY pregnant. She was watching the sunset and the magical colors it spread over the ocean. She was smiling and was lovingly stroking her stomach like only a loving mother could do. She looked blissfully happy, like someone who was living through their happy ending. I noticed that she had, around her wrist, a bracelet with wooden charms like August had planned to make for her._

 _I wanted to look further but I couldn't, the vision ended before I could see whose ship she was on, why she was on it and who was the father of her coming child._

 _Could this vision have anything to do with her present company? Could the pirate be her future? The one who'll make her happy in the long run? Was the bracelet a sign that she'd be reunited with august again some day?_

 _There could be a thousand explanations behind this visions and I was frustrated by the fact that I couldn't find anything more about it. Usually, a vision gave me answers, brought me reassurance or guidance for the future but this one brought on more questions than answers._

 _I guess it told me the most important though: My daughter would be happy eventually, she'd find love again and I'd have no choice but to accept who it was, even if it ended up being the pirate._

 _.End of the sorcerer's thoughts._

.

Eventually, the group arrived in front of the Jolly Roger and Bella used her magic to miniaturize the ship before she used the hat, concentrating on their home, and told them all to jump in.

When they arrived, Bella had the hat in her hand, the portal was closed and they were all standing in front of Granny's dinner. Quickly, everyone around came to great them, David, Henry and Graham arrived and happily hugged Snow and Emma while Bella rushed to reassure Gold and Belle that even though Hook was there, he had agreed to wait until Gold had reunited with his son to do anything, to use that time to check that Rumpelstiltskin had changed and, if he ended up going after Gold, not to hurt Belle in the process.

"Thank you." Belle nodded.

"Yes, I hope he'll keep his word." Gold replied with a nod.

"I have a pretty good feeling about him. I think he'll keep his word. He apparently spent some time with your son when he was stuck in Neverland, they bonded and he told me that he owes your son. Baelfire wanting to stay with you, forgiving you, would be enough to convince him to let go of his revenge quest. I know it." Bella explained.

"Let's hope you're right. Welcome back." Gold told her sincerely.

"Thanks, I kind of missed this place, even though I liked it back there, somehow it made me feel closer to my father." She replied.

"You did a good job with the portal." He complimented her s the three of them made their way to Granny's for the celebration party.

"About that, here, can you look at it, check it out and tell me if I can use it again?" She asked him, handing him the hat.

"Of course." He smiled, took the hat in his hand and looked at it several minutes before he told her:

"You did an even better job than I thought. This hat doesn't obey the same rules as Jefferson's." Gold told her.

"How so?" Belle asked the question Bella was about to ask him.

"With Jefferson's hat, the same number of person who goes one way has to come back the other way. Not for this one. I think this hat needs time to recharge between trips but it'll work again. You did a very good job Bella, I'm sure your father is very proud of you, wherever he is." Gold complimented Bella who blushed and thanked him.

.

Robin and his Merry men were immediately welcomed in Storybrook. From afar, he saw Will Scarlet, who looked back at him before turning around and leaving. Robin didn't waste time thinking about it. They'd have plenty of time to talk things out later.

He smiled as he watched Emma's son, Henry, showing his son the different kind of foods he could get here that he never tried before.

"Robin? This is Regina." Snow made the introductions.

"Nice to meet you. And thank you for letting us stay with you. I hope it's not a bother." Robin replied, mesmerized by the beautiful woman standing before him.

"It's the least I can do. I have a lot of wrong to make up for." Regina replied.

"Well, I'm thankful for the shelter you're offering. My son will have a safe place to stay in." Robin smiled.

Seeing something happening between them, Snow smiled and left them alone. Regina offered to share a drink with Robin, who agreed. He took his jacket off to get comfortable and they sat down.

"The lion tattoo… It's you…" Regina whispered when she saw his forearm.

"My tattoo? What is it? Have you seen it before?" Robin asked her, surprised.

"I have." She nodded before she decided to take a page out of Snow's book and try to be open and honest.

She told him about meeting Tinkerbelle, about being promised a soul mate, seeing his tattoo but being too afraid to walk in that pub. The entire time, Robin was smiling back encouragingly at her.

"Maybe it was meant to happen like this. Maybe we were meant to meet today, here. You shouldn't feel too bad about the past. If you had walked in, I wouldn't have Roland." He told her kindly, letting her know subtly that he wasn't against the idea of them being eventually together.

"I guess it's a good thing you have a child… It's something I wouldn't be able to give you." She told him, trying, and failing, to hide her sadness.

"How come?" he asked her.

"A while after I walked away from you, my mother came back from Wonderland and she wanted me to have a child, an heir. She was just being herself, manipulating me, or trying to do so. She even go someone to pretend he was you. I quickly saw that the tattoo was fake. I sent him in one of my jail cells and, to punish my mother, to hurt her, I cursed myself to be unable to have children. I guess I was too angry and full of rage to understand that I was hurting myself more than I was hurting her." Regina replied.

"Well, if it's a curse, maybe it can be lifted." He told her with a smile.

"Maybe… But I haven't found a way so far." She shook her head sadly.

"Give it time, Regina. Don't they say that True Love's kiss can lift any curse? Give us a chance, let's get to know each other and try. We'll see. And if it can't be lifted, well, we'll find another solution. Have hope." He replied kindly.

"It seems so easy to be hopeful with you." She smiled back.

"Good. Now let me introduce you to Roland." He replied with smile before he called his son over and introduced him to Regina.

.

After giving Hook's ship his original size, Bella went back to Granny's for the party. Hook quickly found Smee and his old mates and rushed to them to catch up, Emma was with her son and Graham, Snow and David were happily catching up, Robin was chatting happily with Regina, it seemed like everyone had someone and, when she spotted Marco and Pinocchio on the other side of the dinner, she felt lonelier than ever. Marco smiled at her, letting her know he was glad that she was back safely, even the young boy smiled at her like she was the best thing that had happened to him all week. It hurt more than she thought it would.

"Welcome back." Maleficent told her from behind her.

"Thanks." Bella smiled.

"I know it's hard for you, seeing everyone like this and not being able to be with the one you want." Maleficent told her as she guided Bella to the counter so they could get something to drink.

"I heard you put your anger aside and offered to help David while we were away. Thank you." Bella told her friend.

"Well, you're my friend, I always help my friends and Archie helps me put my resentment aside. The past can't be changed but the future can. If I want my happy ending, I need to stop thinking like a villain, try to be a good person." Maleficent replied.

"Well, I think you're doing pretty well." Bella smiled.

"Doctor Hopper thinks so too." She smiled back.

"Maybe he'll end up having group session with ex villains. I mean there's you, Gold, Regina, Hook… Lots of people trying to change and become good people." Bella thought out loud.

"We'll see, I don't think Regina or Hook would do well in a therapy room with Rumpelstiltskin." Maleficent smiled.

"You're right. We'd have to make it so none of them can move or use magic." Bella chuckled.

"Hey Aunt Bella! I have something to show you." Henry interrupted them before apologizing to Maleficent.

"Don't worry about it Henry, if this is what I think it is about, it's important. I should go and help Granny anyway. See you later Bella." Maleficent said with a smile before she walked to the kitchen.

"So, what is this about?" Bella asked him, liking that he called her Aunt.

"I think I found the man who dropped the magic book at your door." Henry replied excitedly.

"Really?" Bella smiled.

"Yes, come, I'll take you to his house." Henry started to pull her hand to the door.

"Henry, wait a minute. It's late and if he's not here, then he's probably home asleep or busy. We can't just knock on his door a 10pm, not even for this. Let's wait until tomorrow." She smiled.

"Fine. Tomorrow after school then. Wait for me here." Henry told her before he walked off.

* * *

 _Well, this one is longer than the precedent chapter. What did you think?_

 _What do you think the sorcerer's vision means? Not everything is what is seems._

 _Review please?_

 _Lorelei Candice Black_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23:**

The next day, everything went back to normal in town, like it was usual for people to arrive from another realm through a magic portal. Emma and Graham were back in the sheriff's station, Snow was back in the town's hall with David and even the Merry Men had found things to do to pass the time.

Bella knew that soon, she'd have to leave town again with Gold, Emma and Maleficent to look for their children. Until then, she worked on her books and, when it was time for her to meet with Henry, she dropped everything and went to Granny's. She really wanted to have her last books ready so that, while they were out of Storybrook, she could drop by her editor and get this done. Save her from having to leave again later.

When Henry arrived, Bella was waiting for him with a hot cocoa to go and a piece of brownie. He thanked her and they started walking toward the house. On the way, Henry didn't stop talking, he was very excited about this and he kept on explaining how he had found the man.

"You sound more excited than I am about this." Bella chuckled.

"I just want you to be happy, I want you to find your father." Henry replied.

"I know kid, don't worry. I appreciate it." She smiled back at him, she knew that this made him feel useful, like he was one of the active heroes.

When they finally arrived, Henry rushed to ring the doorbell but nobody answered. He rang several times, and knocked, just in case.

"Maybe we should just come in." Henry suggested.

"Break in? And what? Get arrested by your mother later today? No thanks, I have a spotless record, I'd like to keep it that way. He might just be out shopping or something." Bella shook her head before she added:

"We'll come back another day."

"Wait, maybe the neighbors know him and can tell us where he is." Henry exclaimed before he rushed to knock on the door of the house on the right.

An old woman answered, one Bella had crossed a couple of times at Granny's. Once Henry told her who they were looking for, she replied:

"He's out. He does that once in a while, he leaves for a few days. I think he goes to the woods to collect things. I know he does magic, but I don't know what kind." The woman replied.

"Do you know when he'll be back?" Henry asked her before Bella could speak.

"He left a few hours ago so probably not before the end of the week. Maybe even next week." The woman replied.

"Oh…" Henry stated, disappointed.

"Thank you for your help." Bella told the woman with a smile.

"Did he do something wrong? I mean, I know he's the Savior's son and that you're her best friend, that you work with them…"

"No, he didn't. He's not a bad guy, at least not that we know of. We just think that he might know something about my father. That he might lead us toward him or give us a clue about what the right direction is." Bella replied.

"I can give him a message if you want. Or call you when he comes back." She suggested.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. I'll have to leave town soon anyway. I'll drop back here once I come back." Bella replied before they left.

"We should have given her our phone numbers." Henry insisted as they walked back to the station.

"After all the time I've waited, I can wait another few weeks Henry. Don't worry." Bella told him with a smile.

.

Graham was happy to have Emma back with him and as soon as they entered their bedroom in the Charming family home, previously owned by Jefferson, he made sure she knew just how much he had missed her.

Going back to work with her by his side the next morning was great and even though he knew that she'd have to leave again soon to look for Gold's son and Maleficent's daughter, he wanted to enjoy the present moments they had together.

"So, I was thinking, maybe tonight we can have dinner together? Just the two of us?" he asked her.

"Sure. Did you have something specific in mind?" She asked him.

"I do actually. Be ready around 7." He replied with a smile.

"We share a bedroom Graham, it's not like you can pick me up." She chuckled.

"I'll pick you up in front of our bedroom then." He smiled back at her before he had to answer a breaking and entering call.

.

Later that evening, Emma was following Graham. They were on foot and he was leading her somewhere in the woods. When they arrived, she found herself near the Toll Bridge, in front of a very romantic set up.

"A picnic under the stars?" She asked him when they arrived.

"Yes. Too much?" He replied.

"No, not at all. I like it." She shook her head before she turned around to kiss him.

Together, they ate, talked, drank and laughed until, when it was time for desert, Graham presented Emma with a very particular cake. On the icing was a question:

 _"_ _Emma, will you marry me?"_

And there was a gold diamond ring sitting on top of the question mark.

"Graham?" Emma asked nervously once she saw the question.

"I love you, Emma. I know that we haven't been together or even known each other that long but I know that our love is strong, true. I don't see myself loving anyone more than I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. Will you marry me?" Graham asked her, her hand in his and an hopeful smile on his face.

"You… You want to marry me? Really? You want us to get married?" She asked him, shocked.

"Yes, I do. I know that it might be sudden Emma and if you need to take some time to think about it, I understand." He told her with a smile.

"I… Are you sure that you want to marry me?"

"Yes, I even asked your father and Henry for permission to propose." He nodded.

"I… I totally didn't see this coming. You… This is a big surprise." Emma breathed out, her eyes going between Graham and the ring he was presenting her.

"Take your time, you don't have to answer today." He smiled gently at her.

"I… I don't have to take my time. I've always been closed up, wearing my red jacket like an armor to protect me from the world, from feelings. You broke through that armor and I do love you. I can see this future with you. I will marry you." She replied with a bright smile before he passed the ring on her finger and kissed her.

"I need to tell Bella." She announced as soon as they broke the kiss.

"Shouldn't you want to tell your parents and Henry first?" he asked her, confused.

"They'll get the news second. Bella has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We always promised each other that if this happened we'd be the first to know. It's a best friend thing." Emma smiled.

"I'll cut us a piece of cake while you call her." He nodded.

Emma took a picture of the ring on her finger, sent it to Bella and waited for her best friend to call her.

.

Bella was happy for Emma, really happy that her best friend was getting engaged to the man she loved but she couldn't help feeling lonely when she hung up so she decided to go for a walk. She even considered going to the bar for a drink but she changed her mind and made her way to the docks instead. There, she sat down and watched the moon and the stars, thinking about her life.

"Need some company, love?" Captain Hook asked her, surprising her by his presence and making her jump a little.

"Hook! Sorry, I didn't see you here." She replied, nodding.

"Is something wrong? You don't look like your cheery and hopeful self." He noticed, handing her his flask of Rum.

"Just a bit sad… It'll pass eventually." She replied, accepting the rum.

"Talking about it might help." He offered gently.

"Maybe… It's silly really. Emma just called me to tell me that she got engaged to the man she loves tonight. Of course I'm happy for her but I always thought that I'd be the first one out of the both of us to get married."

"You're jealous. It's a natural feeling. I heard that you recently lost someone, it's natural to think about what could have been with him while your best friend gets it." Hook replied understandingly.

"Yes, but it's not my style." Bella shook her head.

"How did you lose your love?" He asked her.

"You didn't hear it?" She asked him.

"No, I just understood that you lose your love from what I heard around town. How did he die?" He shook his head.

"He's not dead. We didn't break up either. We were in a good place, happy and deeply in love with each other. The Blue fairy turned him back into a child under the pretense that she was giving him a second chance after he wasn't truthful, even though the secrets he kept were forgiven. He's still alive, still walking around town. He's now an 8 years old child who doesn't remember ever being an adult and knows me as a member of the town, a friend of his father's. We weren't together for that long but with him, I could see a future, I could see us getting the fairy tale happy ending and I know that he did too… I guess it just wasn't meant to be." Bella replied, feeling comfortable with the pirate and opening to him like she had rarely before.

"Aye, that's got to be hard." He nodded, taking a drink of his rum before giving it back to her.

"Not harder than your loss, or Regina's. Every loss of love is hard and sad." Bella replied.

"Maybe you'll find someone else." He suggested.

"Maybe… I used to believe that but…"

"But?" he asked, wanting to keep her talking.

"You've lost Milah about 200 years ago and you still haven't moved on." Bella explained.

"I'm not the best example when it comes to that." He chuckled.

"Why not?" She asked him.

"I didn't hold on to my revenge because of an undying love for Milah, even though I tried to believe it was. I held on to my revenge because it was the only thing I had to keep me alive." He replied, surprised by his ability to be open and honest with her.

"I guess it makes sense." She nodded.

"Milah was my first love, Swan. For a long time I thought that I wouldn't be able to open my heart to any other woman. Now I see that there's hope. There's hope for everyone, especially in this place." He explained to her.

"Well, that's surprising coming for the famous Captain Hook." Bella replied with a smile.

"What can I say? Apparently, everyone can change."

"Even you?" She asked him with a smile.

"Especially me. I was once on officer in the king's navy, then my brother died because of the mission the king sent us on and I became a pirate. Before that my brother and I were simple sailors working on another Captain's ship. I guess every major event in our life has the power to push us one way or the other." Killian told her.

"This sounds very familiar." Bella realized, it was a quote taken right out of the first book of her saga.

"Maybe because Mister Smee gave me your books. I started reading them." He smiled.

"And what do you think so far?"

"I can't wait to know more about the author of these wonderful books." He replied flirtingly.

"There isn't much to know."

"I disagree. I think you're full of mysteries to discover." Hook smiled.

"Right now, the only mystery about me is my father's identity." She sighted sadly.

"I heard about that. The Savior's boy, Henry, he told me about it earlier today. He told me about both of your parents."

"He did? Why?" Bella didn't understand why Henry would speak about her parentage to someone she didn't know that well.

"He was wondering if maybe, during all of my travels in the different realms, I'd heard of someone who could fit the description. Sadly I never did."

"It's okay. He saw that we'd be reunited eventually. I just have to wait for someone else to find him and introduce us. I just need to have faith." Bella replied, taking another bit of rum from the pirate's flask.

"I'm sure things will turn out well for you, Swan." He assured her.

"How are you sure?" She asked him.

"Because I've seen a lot of people, a lot of life and the lesson I've learned is that people like you always get their happy ending."

"People like me?" She asked him, confused.

"People who help others, give second chances, fight for other's happiness, sacrifice their own peace and happiness for others." He replied, taking a sip from his flask and handing it to her.

"How do you know that this is the kind of person I am?" She asked him with a smile, flattered that he'd compliment her this way.

"I've seen you, and Smee told me about you. You befriended Maleficent, became her friend and offered to help her find her child. You managed to get the Crocodile to open up and even I can see that he's changed a little. He's trying to be a better man and I know you're the one who put it in motion. You make people want to be better. You're special and if you don't get your happy ending, then the world isn't as fair as I thought it was." Hook told her, deciding to be honest with her.

"Why would Smee talk to you about me?" She asked him, confused.

"Maybe I asked him." Hook confessed, hiding his face in his flask.

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. You intrigue me." His words and his tone held so much promise and emotions that Bella had to turn her head and look at the ocean to keep her composure.

"I should go. We have to plan our trip tomorrow." Bella decided, standing up.

"I'll walk you back. Even with your powers, you never know what's roaming in the night." He offered and she nodded, accepting his presence on her way back.

They kept on talking about various things as they made their way through the streets until she stopped, turning her head to the side and taking a step in that direction.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"I heard a child cry, this way." She told him before she turned and half ran down a street.

They both stopped when they found themselves in an isolated and very dark street in which a small boy was curled up and crying.

"Hey, are you okay?" Bella asked, coming closer and bending down.

"I'm lost, I don't know how I got here." The boy replied looking up to answer her.

"Pinocchio?" Bella gasped.

"You're Bella! Please, help me find my papa. I don't know how I got here. I didn't mean to be a bad boy." He asked her, crying even harder now that he knew that he was in presence of someone he could trust.

"Is that, him? August?" Killian asked her in a whisper when he saw the distraught look on her face.

"Yes. Come on Pinocchio, stand up. I'll take you home. Then we'll try to find out how you got here." She told the boy with a kind smile on her face.

When she saw that he had a hard time standing up, she realized that he probably hurt his ankle.

"I'm not sure I know how to heal with my magic yet." She apologized.

"I'm alright, I'll carry the boy. Come here mate." Killian offered and Bella was thankful.

At first, Pinocchio was hesitant to go to Killian but when he saw that Bella trusted the pirate he nodded and let the man in black leather carry him.

On the way back to Marco's house, Bella tried to find out what Pinocchio remembered but sadly, the last thing he remembered was going to bed and his father reading him a story. He felt guilty about not remembering but she calmed him down. When they arrived, Bella rang the doorbell a few times until Marco finally arrived obviously just waking up.

"Bella, what? Pinocchio? What happened?" he asked them, letting the three of them come in.

"Killian was walking me back home when I heard Pinocchio cry. He hurt his ankle but otherwise he seems fine. He was afraid, lost and doesn't remember how he got there. He was a long way from here." Bella explained after they put the boy back to bed.

"Thank you for helping bringing him back." Marco told Hook who nodded and, deciding it didn't concern him anymore, told them goodnight and left.

"The last thing he remembered was going to bed and you reading him a story. He might be sleepwalking. He could have hurt his ankle by going out the window." Bella suggested.

"Yes, it was open when I put him back to bed, I closed it. He's been having dreams lately…" Marco nodded.

"What kind of dreams?" she asked him.

"Dreams of you. Of the simple moments the two of you had when he was older like walking together down the street or having dinner here with me. It started after he first saw you as a boy. I thought he just had a crush, that I didn't need to worry about it…" Marco shook his head.

"It's not an easy situation. Maybe some memories of his adult self are coming back… But they shouldn't, there must be a reason behind it." She replied.

"I didn't want to trust Blue with this so I asked Gold about it yesterday. He thinks that maybe the secret August was keeping was important and magic is trying to get it out through Pinocchio. It's just taking some time." Marco admitted.

"Did Rumpelstiltskin have a solution? An idea to sort it out? This can't be healthy for your son." Bella asked, worried for the little boy.

"Well, he could turn him back into a man, permanently or temporarily but it would be dangerous for his health to turn him back into a boy later. He thought about using a dream catcher to get his memory but he was unable to reach it." Marco explained.

"Having him run around in the middle of the night can't be healthy either." Bella shook her head, feeling so many different emotions that she gave up on trying to identify them.

"I told him that I needed time to think about it but we might not have the choice anymore. Tomorrow I'll ask him to turn him back into a man. It's the best for him." Marco nodded.

"Are you sure? If he turns him back into an adult, you might not get your boy back, he might not be able to change him again without hurting him." Bella warned him, forcing herself not to feel too much hope.

"He's not happy Bella. He feels that something is missing from his life, he doesn't understand why but he doesn't feel in his rightful place. The only time he truly smiles is when he sees you from afar and the entire time you were in the Enchanted Forest, he looked… depressed. I tried to ignore it, to pretend it would change but I was fooling myself. What Blue did, it's not for his best, and if he's not happy, I can't be either. My boy grew up, he needs to go back to being the adult he's supposed to be." Marco confessed to Bella who didn't know what to think.

"I… I'm sorry." She told him.

"Don't be. I know that you've tried to forget him, I also know that you couldn't do it. Maybe it's because, deep down you knew that he'd come back to you." Marco told her with a smile.

"This doesn't have to be the end of you being a father, you know. There are lots of orphans in the world. Lots of little boys and little girls who'd love to have you as their father." Bella tried to comfort him.

"And eventually maybe some grandchildren." He smiled at Bella, making her blush.

"I... I don't know what to tell you, Marco." Bella shook her head.

"You don't have to say anything. Now, about that pirate who helped you bring Pinocchio home…" Marco started to ask.

"Oh, nothing happened. Emma called earlier to tell me that she was engaged and I was feeling a little sad so I took a walk and ended up by the docks. He was around and we started talking. He was just being friendly." Bella replied, reassuring the man.

"He wants to be more than your friend." Marco replied.

"You can't know that." Bella shook her head.

"I may be old Bella but I'm a man. I know these things. He's interested in you." Marco assured her.

"I… He's just a new friend. It doesn't matter if he wants more. I love August, I still do and if there's a chance of him coming back…" Bella replied shaking her head.

"Let's hope he'll be fine being just a friend then." Marco smiled.

"Are you sure you want to bring August back though? I don't want you to make this decision just to make me happy." Bella asked him.

"I'm not doing it just for you, child. As I said, he's not happy right now and if my boy isn't happy I can't be happy either." Marco replied.

"Alright then. It's getting very late, I should go. I have to meet with Gold and Maleficent tomorrow to plan our trip to look for their children. I guess I'll see you then." Bella declared.

"Yes you will, and if my instinct is working right I'd say that my boy will be going with you." Marco smiled, walking Bella back to the door.

As she walked back to her apartment, Bella had a hard time believing that this was really happening. She was getting August back, the man she loved was coming back to her and Blue would have lost. During her walk, Bella took a minute to think about what Marco had told her about Hook but she shook it off. She'd make a point to show him that she was still his friend and that she was there for him, to help him find love if he wanted it, or any happiness.

 ** _.The sorcerer's thoughts._**  
 _I'm really happy to see that things turn our for the best for my daughter's happiness but I'm worried. I hope the pirate will be able to take her friendship and leave it at that. I'd hate to see my daughter in the middle of a love triangle, but then again, it would be better than her not having love at all in her life._

 _I'm happy for Emma and Graham, but I have a bad feeling. Their relationship won't end well and I don't think it will have anything to do with Neal's coming arrival in their lives. I hope I'm wrong because they really deserve their happiness, especially Emma._

 _Seeing Henry's enthusiasm to find me, I can't help but smile. He'll be the one to find me, to put the pieces together and to reunite me with my daughter, I can see it clearly now. I just hope that he'll find me before people find out that he is the Truest Believer and hands him out to Peter Pan. I won't be able to help if I'm not with them and given his history with the man, The Dark one won't be much help either._

* * *

 _ **So, I could call this chapter: the chapter who forced me to change what I had planned because it just wrote itself.**_

 ** _What did you think of it? Please tell me in a review._**

 ** _Hook will be paired with someone. Who do you think it will be? Guess right and I'll answer a question. A hint? it's someone who's going to enter the story in the next few chapters but who has been talked about before._**

 ** _Thanks for reading me,_**

 ** _Lorelei Candice Black_**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24:**

The next morning, Bella made her way to the Charming house where she had been invited to have breakfast with them like it had become the tradition to do so once a week, and, there, she told them about what had happened during the night.

She started from the moment she received Emma's phone call telling her about the engagement (Snow tried to to frown when she found out that she wasn't the first to be told about it, but she kind of understood) before she continued with her conversation with Hook on the docks and about finding Pinocchio on her way home. She told them everything Marco had told her about Pinocchio's unhappiness and dreams. She knew that the Charming's were Emma's family but they made her feel like she was one of them and, sometimes, she liked it. She liked feeling like Snow and David cared about her as well. Of course they weren't like parents to her, more like an aunt and uncle that watched distantly over her while her own parents were away.

"So August will be back then?" Snow asked her happily, knowing that this was what Bella was wishing for all this time.

"Apparently, yes. Marco told me that he's been trying to deny the truth, deny that his son wasn't happy. Pinocchio can apparently tell that something's missing from his life even though he doesn't know what it is and now that I think of it, the place where I found him… It would have been on his way from his father's house to mine, at least the long way we took when we walked back home." Bella replied.

"That's great!" Henry exclaimed.

"I think so." Bella nodded.

"You think so? What's wrong?" Emma asked her.

"I just feel a bit guilty for Marco… It'll pass I guess, but I feel like it's wrong of me to feel happy when I know Marco will be losing something he wants." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"Marco took the decision, he'll be fine with it eventually. His son will still be there, he'll learn to be a parent to an adult like we did." Charming comforted Bella.

"So, what about Hook?" Graham asked her.

"He's a friend, why?" Bella replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"He wants to be more." Emma and her father said at the same time, making everyone chuckle.

"He'll just have to get used to being my friend. It'll be okay, I'm sure he'll find someone else eventually. I can feel it and you know I'm never wrong about these feelings." Bella replied.

"If you say so." Emma frowned.

"Speaking about Hook. Henry, care to tell me just how many people you interrogated about my parents' potential identities? He told me that you asked him and his men about it." Bella asked the boy who looked smug.

"Oh… Just a few people." Henry shrugged.

"What's a few?" Emma asked her son.

"Well, Hook and his men, Robin Hood and the Merry men, all the oldest people in town because I figured that if they're old, they must have seen a lot of things, the people working at the docks because they tend to see lots of people or to travel a lot, the people…" Henry started counting.

"Forget it." Bella interrupted him with a smile, unable to stay mad at the boy.

About an hour after breakfast, Henry was at school and Bella was in Gold's shop where Marco and Pinocchio were waiting for him to get all the ingredients he'd need. Belle was present as well, supporting her friend Bella.

"Are you sure about this, Marco? There might be another solution, a way to make him forget his adult memories better…" Bella reminded the old man.

"It's for the best Bella." Marco nodded with a smile.

"I've found the last ingredient. Now, turning him back into a child later would be taking the risk to kill him so, Bella, here is a spell I want you to study. It's a protection spell you'll need to cast over August once he's back. This way, Blue, or anyone else really, won't be able to turn him back again." Gold told his friend.

"Why don't you do it?" Bella asked him.

"Because it's a light magic spell. Yours is pure and the whitest I've ever seen. I could cast it but it would be weak and corrupted. It'll be stronger if you're the one to cast it." He replied.

Bella smiled and started studying the spell he wanted her to cast while he finished the potion Pinocchio would have to drink.

The little boy was pretty calm. He knew what was going to happen to him and he trusted his father when he told him that it would make him happier, that it was for the best.

"Here we go Pinocchio. Now I need you to drink this glass. You have to finish it, to drink it all. Once you're done, I advise you to lie down. It will make the transformation easier on you." Gold told the little boy with a kindness rare people had seen.

The little boy nodded and did as he was told.

"I added a small sleep potion in it. He'll only sleep about half an hour, the time for the transformation to take place. This way he won't feel it taking place." Gold explained to Marco and Bella.

"Thank you." Marco replied sincerely.

"You're welcome. I'm trying to change, apparently, helping others is the best way to go. I'm just trying to become someone my boy will be proud to call his father." Gold replied with a smile.

"You're doing great." Bella encouraged him, determined to do her best to convince Baelfire to give Gold a chance to be his father.

"Emma and Maleficent should be here in about 45 minutes to use your mirror magic to locate her daughter." Bella informed Gold after watching the message she had just received on her phone.

"Very well. I'll prepare everything then. Call me if you need anything before he wakes up." He replied before he and Belle went back to the front of the shop while Bella and Marco watched over a changing boy.

.

Bella couldn't bring herself to watch the boy change so she grabbed the spell book Gold had given her with the protection spell and, after studying the one he showed her, she read the others, wanting to know as much as possible. She was so concentrated on the book that she didn't notice as time passed and soon, Marco was calling her, telling her that his son was waking up.

"Papa… I… It worked… I'm back. Thank you, you took the right decision papa, I'm sure of it." August stated with a bright smile, obviously happy to be back.

For a second, father and son looked at each other with a smile and they seemed to be communicating. They were telling each other that they were okay, that they were still father and son, that it was the right decision and that everything would be alright.

"August." Bella whispered, love and happiness rushing back in her heart where they belonged, finally soothing the pain she had learned to live with since he had been changed.

"Bella! I missed you so much." August exclaimed, getting up and, ignoring the pain, he rushed to hug her.

"So did I." Bella replied, tears of joy on her face, as she hugged him back.

"I'll warn Gold so he can check if everything is really alright." Marco declared before he rushed out and went to the front of the shop, coming back a few minutes later with Gold.

"Thank you, really." August told the Dark One who simply smiled before he replied:

"Just doing my best to try and become a better man, a man my son would want to come home to. Well, apparently you're alright. You'll be sore for a while but it's normal. Now, Bella have you studied the spell I showed you?" He asked her.

"Yes, I did. I was waiting for you to be here before I cast it though, just in case." She replied.

"Go ahead then. I'll watch." He encouraged her.

Bella nodded and, full of confidence and love, she cast the protection spell on the man she loved. She wanted to make sure the Blue Fairy wouldn't be able to touch him again and so she tried to make it as strong as possible.

"Wow." Gold exclaimed, stunned, as he watched her.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?" Bella asked him.

"On the contrary dearie, this was perfect, better than I expected. It's the strongest protection spell I've ever seen." Gold complimented her, thinking that he better never get on her bad side.

"Oh… I… Good." She blushed, making everyone chuckle.

"I have to go back to work. I'll see the two of you later for dinner?" Marco declared, asking his son and Bella to join him later.

"Of course you will." August told his father while Bella nodded with a smile.

Marco left just in time to let Emma and Maleficent in. August, who was still holding Bella's hand, started to tense.

"It's okay, she's not mad about the secret, she understand that it's for the best. It got her where she is now, that's what's important to her." Bella told him.

"I get that but… I… After we're done here, stay here with me, we'll have to talk to Gold." August told her quickly before Emma arrived and hugged her returned friend.

Maleficent hadn't spent as much time with August but she welcomed him back and he was happy to see that she had remained good and a friend to Bella. He had heard about her daughter but didn't know her personally, so he wasn't able to help her but he knew that she was doing her best to get her happy ending. August could see with one look that she deserved it. He also remembered crossing her a few days ago, when he was still a child. She had helped him pick up the books he had dropped and had been kind, sweet and smiling. A woman nobody would think to have ever been a villain.

Gold took out the broken baby toy Maleficent had on her necklace and used it to link it to a mirror, explaining each move to Bella so she'd be able to do it too some day, look for someone, locate them. Suddenly, Maleficent smiled when her baby girl appeared on the mirror while Bella and Emma gasped.

"Emma… Look at the mark on her wrist…" Bella whispered.

"It can't be…" Emma shook her head before they heard that it was, indeed, their old friend.

"Lilly... They named her Lilly… Such a pretty name." Maleficent commented.

"So not only my parents screwed her over because they put my potential for darkness in her and they separated her from her mother but I abandoned her when she just wanted someone to be there for her." Emma stated, surprising Maleficent.

"It wasn't your fault, Emma. You were a teenage girl, Lilly lied to you and got you in trouble, twice. The second time around she cost you a potential great family. It's very understandable." Bella tried to justify.

"But you told me to give her a chance, I didn't listen to you. I have to make this right. I'll work on locating her right now." Emma argued while Maleficent tried to understand what was going on.

"What's going on? You know her?" The mother asked.

"We crossed her a few times. She had more of a connection to Emma though. She ran away from her family, they were a good family but she didn't feel right with them, like she didn't belong. That's when she met Emma for the first time. They robbed a store together for food and broke into Lilly's family summer house. Lilly lied and told Emma that she was an orphan too. It didn't end well, Lilly's father busted them and blamed it all on Emma, who in turn blamed Lilly and refused to stay in touch with her. I saw her at this moment because the social worker who went to pick up Emma had just picked me up too and was going to put us together in the same group home. Lilly and I had the time to speak for a few minutes and I promised her to try and talk Emma into giving her a chance. I was unsuccessful. A few months later, Emma was in a great foster family, they were very nice, loving and welcoming to her. Lilly arrived, lied and stole money from them because she wanted Emma to run away with her too. Emma got in trouble for it. Lilly wanted freedom and figured Emma wanted the same while Emma just wanted a family where she'd be welcome and loved. She almost had that and she lost it because of Lilly, so she rejected her once more. I crossed Lilly a couple of times later, when we were adults. She knew who I was and I knew who she was. We talked and even went to see get some coffee together but nothing more. We never really tried to connect and we lost touch." Bella replied.

"How was she?" Maleficent asked her.

"I can try to use a dream catcher to show you if you want." Bella offered.

Maleficent nodded and so Bella put all of her memories of Lilly in the dream catcher.

"Thank you I'll take it home with me. Call me when you know where she is? I know that I can't leave town but I'd like to see you off." Maleficent asked Bella.

"Yes, of course." Bella nodded and the happy mother left, planning on assuring Emma, before they left town that she was forgiven, that she shouldn't carry the blame for what happened to Lilly.

"Before Bella and I leave, I'd like to speak with you Mister Gold. There's something you need to know about the secret I'm still keeping from Emma. I promised that I wouldn't tell her, and I will keep this promise, but you need to know it and, after what you did for me, without asking for anything in exchange, I will use this hole in my word to tell you and Bella about this secret." August announced just as Gold was about to go back to the front room of his shop.

"What is it?" The Dark one asked him.

"Maybe we should sit down. It's kind of big." August suggested and so Rumple led the way to his living room and served some tea, feeling a big story coming.

"As you know, I abandoned Emma soon after we landed in this world and ever since then, I jumped from one temptation of this world to the next, trusting that Emma would be safe in the system. When she turned 18, I looked for her and found her about to sell stolen watches for her boyfriend so they could get a new start in Tallahassee." August started his tale.

"Henry's father, right?" Gold asked just when Bella asked:

"You know Neal?"

"I quickly found out who he was, and so I approached him. I knew that if they stayed together, Emma would never go to Storybrooke to break the cruse. I told him that I knew who he was, I told him who Emma was, where she was from and what her destiny was. I told him that he couldn't stay with her if he wasn't ready to guide her home to her family. He replied that he couldn't go there, that there was no way he was going…" August stated.

"Neal wasn't his real name, was it?" Bella asked, feeling like the answer would change everything.

"No." August shook his head, looking at Gold.

"It's Baelfire? My son?" Gold asked him.

"Yes." August nodded looking guilty.

"Does he know about Henry?" Bella asked her boyfriend.

"No, he doesn't and I'm afraid it's my fault. I gave him the choice of guiding her home, to break the curse, meaning finding his father again, or letting her go to jail, get back on the right track. He chose to let her go to jail. After that, he gave me the Yellow bug they met in and asked me to give it to her. I sent her the keys without signing or writing anything else. I went back to my life, promising Neal to keep in touch with him. When Emma arrived here, my leg started turning again so I went to New York, found Neal, told him that I was coming here and that I would warn him as soon as the curse broke. I did. I sent him a postcard via bird. I'm sure he received it. Before I left though, he reminded me of my promise never to tell Emma about this, adding that he didn't want to see his father again. But since he didn't think of adding not telling you to my promise, I feel like I can tell you, especially since you deserve the truth." August explained.

"He left her… It's my fault… I mean, you gave him a choice, didn't you?" Gold asked the man who nodded.

"Bella could use a dream catcher to pull the memories out of my head if you want, you'd be able to see it all. See him a bit before we look for him." August suggested and the Dark one nodded, letting Bella use the magical item.

After that they all watched as August found Neal, showed him his typewriter with _"I know you're Baelfire"_ written on it. They saw the conversation and Neal choosing to leave Emma and never seek her out again instead of facing his father one day. They saw Neal giving the car to August and later August returning and Neal reminding him that he didn't want to see his father again.

"He could have contacted her now, explained everything… he didn't. Because of me…" Gold whispered.

"I'm telling you this now because I think that he's wrong. He was sure that you couldn't change but I'm seeing it now, you're changing and you're becoming someone he'd be proud to call his father. I mean, you helped me without asking for anything in exchange, this means a lot. I'm going to go with you to find him and I'm going to make sure he knows how much you've changed and why. I'll do everything in my power to reunite the two of you, and make up for what I did to Emma." August declared, squeezing Bella's hand a little tighter in his.

"August, once Emma finds out she'll understand, she won't be angry at you." Bella promised him.

"She should be angry at me." The Dark One stated.

"She won't be angry at you either. She'll be angry at Neal at first, and then she'll decide that it was all for the best, that she found her family and met her Love because of his decision. And Henry will be very happy to have found another grandfather." Bella told them both with a smile.

"Are you sure he'll be happy to see me?" Gold asked August.

"He'll be angry at first, but I'm sure I can convince him to give you a second chance. Henry will be a big help too." August nodded.

"I… Thank you for telling me. I need to go tell Belle." Gold replied.

"Since we know where to find Neal, we'll be able to leave as soon as Emma finds Lilly's location. I'll call you." Bella told him on their way out.

"I'll buy everyone's ticket as soon as we know." Gold replied.

 ** _. The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _I can see things moving well now._

 _I really didn't see this twist coming, August coming back, but at least it shows that my vision wasn't about her and the pirate. I still wonder what she was doing pregnant on a pirate ship but who knows? I guess time will tell._

 _Seeing the happiness on my daughter's face though, there's nothing that could make me happier._

 _I'm also proud of August's way of dealing with his promise. He did the right thing, found a way to go around to his promise, gave Rumpelstiltskin a chance. He really deserves his present happiness with my daughter._

* * *

 **I hope you liked it. Those of you who missed August should be happy, right?  
**

 **Also, sorry it took me so long but inspiration comes and goes, I hope you understand.**

 **Tell me in a review!**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	25. Chapter 25 (finally, I know!)

**Chapter 25:**

Bella and August took their time going back to Bella's place, talking and enjoying being simply together.

"I remember being the boy, I remember seeing you trying to get over me and not understanding why you were so sad and why I couldn't stop thinking about you… I remember that all I wanted to do was go to you and find a way to make you smile again but papa said that it wouldn't be a great idea, that it might make you even sadder and I didn't understand why." August told her.

"I did try to move on, but I failed. Obviously." She replied.

"Well, I'm glad." He smiled and squeezed her hand in his, letting her know that he was happy to have her with him.

"How about we go to Granny's to get some lunch first?" She suggested, a little nervous about being on her own with him for the first time, especially in her apartment.

"Absolutely." He smiled, willing to give her anything she needed as long as he could be with her.

They were about to walk into Granny's when Smee and Hook left it with a to-go bag.

"Can you wait for me inside, please? I'll be right there." Bella asked August who nodded, smiled at her with understanding and headed inside, knowing what to order for her.

He remembered seeing her the previous night, back when he was a boy, and he remembered seeing the pirate there. Even as a child, he had been jealous of Hook, of the way he looked at Bella and he knew that she was about to tell him that that opportunity door just closed for him. He felt bad for the pirate and hoped that he wouldn't take it too badly.

"I see that things have changed for the better for you." Hook stated with a neutral face.

"Yes… Apparently, the sleepwalking was just another symptom among many others that Marco was trying to deny. I… He decided to bring August back last night, we did it this morning." She replied not knowing how she should handle him but deciding that it would be best to leave out Rumpelstiltskin's involvement in this out.

"Didn't I tell you that you'd get the happiness you deserve, Swan? I'm happy for you, truly." He told her with a smile and she could see that he was sincere.

"And I know you'll get yours, Hook. Trust me, my intuitions are never wrong and I have the feeling that you're on the right track, you'll get your happy ending eventually if you keep on this track. And my feeling is telling me that you'll find it sooner than you think." She smiled at him.

"I hope you're right."

"I know I am, my instinct is magical and never wrong, just ask Emma. The only time she didn't listen to me she ended up in jail for Henry's father's crimes." She smiled, trying to encourage him to stay good.

"Well, I'll let you go back to your love, then. Smee and I have to take care of the old girl." He informed her before he left, doing his best to believe that she was right.

"By the way, I promised Snow White that I'd talk to you about something." Bella remembered.

"What is it?"

"Well, she's not working at the school anymore but she's still in contact with them and apparently a lot of the kids would like a chance to visit a real pirate ship. Snow wanted to know if you'd be willing to allow a few group of kids to visit it. It would be during school hours and they'd be supervised by teachers. Also the groups would be small. It could help you and your men make a good place for yourselves in this town. You could tell them about some of your adventures, show them that pirates can be honorable men. They might even offer you a job at the school later. You could teach them about geography, the different realms you've seen, the stars and stuff." Bella explained.

"It could be a good idea, at least the Jolly Roger would get some action." Hook nodded.

"Did you get a cell phone?" She asked him.

"That talking device thing that Smee has? No, not yet." He shook his head.

"You can use mine Milady." Smee offered, eager to help his captain.

"Good. I'll give Mister Smee's number to Snow, she'll give it to the teacher who wants to organize it and they'll contact you. I think it will be good for you." Bella replied with a smile while she wrote down Smee's number and gave him hers so they could contact her if they needed.

"Well, we'll let you get back to your man then." Hook told her.

"Hey, Hook. When we get back from New York, I hope you'll join August and I for lunch sometime. I hope you'll be friend with him." Bella told him as he walked away.

He smiled back at her, nodded and told her:

"Use Smee's number. I'll think about getting one of these things for myself soon." He replied.

"Did everything go well?" August asked her once she walked back in.

"Yes, perfectly. I forgot to give him a message from Snow last night so I told him now. The school would like for him to allow students, supervised of course, to tour his ship. He agreed." She smiled while she texted Snow White with Smee's number.

"Good. People will accept him as a changed man faster if their kids do." August smiled.

"I told him that once we came back we'd have lunch with him. I'd like for you to try and be his friend." She told her love hesitantly.

"I'd love to. According to what I heard, we could get along well." He smiled.

"Good." She nodded, smiling when she saw that he had ordered her favorite.

"You know that you don't have to be nervous, right? This is far from being our first date." He asked her.

"I… You know me well." She chuckled.

"We don't have to rush right back where we were before I was changed." He assured her.

"I want for us to get right back where we left off. Life's too short to do otherwise." She replied quickly.

"Good. Me too. Don't be nervous Bella. Everything will be fine." He told her.

.

Once they were done with lunch, Bella and August went to check on Emma who informed them that she had located Lilly and that they would be leaving the next day to find her and Baelfire. Once Emma left them to go and warn Maleficent and Gold to prepare the trip and finalize everything, Bella and August went for a walk in the park, like they used to do.

After a few hours, they went back to Bella's apartment.

"I kept a few of your things, your father took the rest." She informed him.

"I see that you've slept in my favorite shirt." He commented.

"It made me feel like you were still around." She replied.

"Maybe that's why you couldn't move on." He suggested.

"Maybe." She shrugged.

"I'll pack a bag tonight at dad's, that's if you still want me to move in here with you."

"Of course I do." She smiled brightly, showing him the empty drawers and closet space she had kept.

"Good."

.

The next morning, Maleficent was at the town line with the Charming's and Marco, telling goodbye and wishing good luck to Gold, Emma, Bella, August and Henry. Graham didn't want to let Emma go without him but they both decided that the town needed a sheriff and that one of them should stay with her parents in case something happened while she was gone. Plus, they didn't know if he'd be able to leave town while keeping his memories.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for Henry to miss school and come with us?" Emma asked Bella before they left.

"Yes, trust me. I can't tell you why now but it'll be good for him to come along. Plus, Regina might not be able to use magic but she's still around and I know you don't like leaving him a second time." Bella assured her best friend who trusted her, nodded and opened the car door for her son.

"I can't believe I'm going to go to New York and take a plane! It's so great! Do you think we'll have the time to do some sightseeing?" Henry asked in the car, not directing his question toward anyone in particular.

"Well Henry, considering the fact that it'll probably take me some time to convince my son to trust me, I think you'll definitely have the time to look around." Gold replied.

"Henry has to be with us when we find Baelfire, so do you Emma." Bella commented.

"Well maybe you and August can take Henry to see whatever it is he wants to see while I find Lilly and before Gold talks to his son." Emma suggested.

"Good idea. I don't think you'll need me with Lilly just remember to keep calm to give her the chance you wouldn't give her earlier and to show her the message Maleficent recorded on your phone for her." Bella nodded.

"I wish I could just teleport us directly in New York, I hate the idea of locking myself in one of those flying tin cans." Gold muttered, making them all smile.

"Don't worry Mister Gold, I read somewhere that more people died in car crashes than because of an airplane crash." Henry commented kindly, trying to reassure the elder man.

"Everything will be fine, trust me." Bella added quickly.

.

Besides a few uneasy moments at the airport, especially for Gold, everything went pretty well and they arrived safely in New York, right on time.

"So, what's the plan?" Emma asked Gold.

"Why don't you and I go look for Lilly first? It will give me a while longer to prepare for my meeting with Baelfire. I'm not sure I'm quite ready yet." Gold suggested.

"My editor is close to the museum. I'll go there while Henry and August visit the Museum, then we'll go and visit the other places around. Call us when you're done and we'll see if you join us or if we join you." Bella replied.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked her friend.

"Yes, don't worry. Everything will be alright. I'm not sure you'll find her at your first try though, I have a feeling that we'll have the time to see several sites with Henry before we have to join you." Bella replied.

"If that's the case, here Henry." Gold said while handing a few 50 Dollar bills to Henry.

"Thanks! But why?" Henry asked.

He had never seen that much money in his life before and he knew that there must be over 500 Dollar in front of him right now.

"Well, first of all, I'd like you to get a souvenir for Belle at every site you visit, make her feel like she saw it too. Then, I want you to buy something for the town, something so that other town members can feel like they have seen it. And something for you too." Gold explained with a smile he hoped to be grandfatherly.

"That's very nice of you mister Gold, but are you sure?" Emma asked him, surprised.

"Of course I'm sure. I can definitely afford it and it will help me show the town that I've changed, maybe." Gold replied, keeping quiet, for now, that he was also doing this to see his newly discovered grandson smile.

They parted ways after Henry thanked Mister Gold and asked him for some recommendations concerning Belle's gifts.

Bella walked with Henry and August up to the Museum before she crossed the street and went to see her editor and hand over her last 2 books and the project draft for her new saga. Since she had warned beforehand that she didn't have much time, she was able to see her editor right away and they worked quickly. He agreed to wait until her new saga was complete, until he received everything to start publishing and to continue the fishing touches on this saga through emails. She was done just in time to see Henry and August exit the museum with a shopping bag from the souvenir shop. Since Emma hadn't called yet, they moved on to their next target.

.

For Emma and Gold, things were going better than they expected it to. They found Lilly after they third try and though she had been angry at first, she calmed down as soon as Emma showed her Maleficent's video message.

Maleficent was kind, smiling, hopeful and telling her daughter that even though she's still angry at their forced separation, she had forgiven the Charming's and wanted to enjoy her last chance at happiness with her daughter. She asked her to give her at least 2 weeks in Storybrooke, to please listen to what Emma had to say, to try and forgive and to believe she could be happy.

The two women talked for about an hour before Lilly finally agreed to give it a chance and to go back to Storybrooke with them, even just for a few weeks. She packed a bag and followed them to their rented car, knowing that they weren't going there right away but that they had to stop once more first to get the Dark One's son. Emma couldn't help but notice that Lilly's place looked a lot like hers had been before she and Bella moved to Storybrooke.

"So Bella is with you?" Lilly asked Emma as they drove to join Henry, Bella and August.

"Yes, she's waiting with my son, Henry." Emma nodded.

"And she's dating Pinocchio?"

"I know, it's weird but she's in love and they're happy together. I'm engaged to the huntsman the Evil Queen hired to cut out my mother's heart. We try not to think about that fact too much." Emma chuckled.

"Well, as long as you're happy." Lilly chuckled, only half sincere.

"Hey, I'm the savior, Lilly. My job is to give everyone their happy ending back. That includes you too. I won't rest until you've found what makes you happy. Your mother, the love of your life, whatever it is, I won't let you down this time. I give you my word. You're not alone anymore, and you won't be ever again." Emma promised her old friend.

"To be honest, if I hadn't lied to you the first time, you probably wouldn't have let me down the second time." Lilly declared.

"I was furious at my parents when I found out what they did to you, you know. Then they explained that they didn't know it would send you in another realm, they thought they'd be able to take you back to your mother afterwards… It doesn't make it okay, what they did was wrong, I know it and they know it. They're sorry about it and they're trying to make up for it." Emma tried to explain.

"Well, at least they acknowledged that it was wrong. But I kind of get it, everything is linked. What your parents did is a result of the Evil Queen's actions, and they were a result of her mother… It's all linked one way or another." Lilly nodded.

"If we're throwing blame around I'd say that I'm probably to blame for some of it." Gold declared with a small smile.

"Let's hope your son doesn't see it like this or you'll have wasted a trip." Lilly added.

"As long as I get to see him and talk to him a little, it won't be a wast of a trip." Gold replied honestly.

.

After introducing August and Henry to Lilly, they were finally able to go find Baelfire.

"How do we proceed? I mean, his name is not even on the doorbell we can't just ring it." Emma stated once they were there.

"He'll open for me. Just be quiet and when he opens the door, stay behind me, don't let him see you until you can go inside." August declared, taking a big breath in.

"You know him?" Emma asked him, surprised.

"Emma… You're about to learn something big, you'll be shocked and angry but please remember that the choices that were made helped you get on the path you are now, with your parents, your family and Graham. What August did helped put you where you are now. Remember that." Bella warned Emma gently.

"Now you're scaring me." Emma frowned.

"What's going on?" Henry asked while Gold looked down and Lilly looked at them curiously.

"I sense that it's best if we don't tell the two of you before we see Baelfire. Please trust me?" Bella asked.

"Fine." Emma and Henry nodded.

With one nod at them, August rang the door bell and once they heard that someone had answered, without speaking, August spoke:

"It's me, August. My girlfriend and I came in town to pick up something and I figured I'd update you on the situation in Storybrooke before we go back. Don't worry, I kept my promise and she won't tell her either." August declared, careful not to lie.

There was still no words spoken but the door was buzzed open and so everyone followed August up the stairs and to a door. He knocked, keeping Bella by his side while everyone else hide on the side. Once the door opened August stepped in and, with one small word of apology, pushed the browned haired man aside so that everyone could come in.

"August, what the hell, man!" Neal exclaimed when he realized that his friend had brought more than one person with him and before he saw who had come with him.

"Neal? You've got to be kidding me! Seriously, Bella? This is what August has been hiding? This is why it was so important for me and Henry to be there for this? He's Gold's son?" Emma exclaimed angrily, hugging her son close to her side.

"Emma?" Neal declared with a voice full of emotions, surprised to see her there.

"Baelfire…" Rumpelstiltskin whispered.

"You brought my father here? Why?" Neal asked August.

"He helped me when he didn't have to, without asking for anything in exchange. There was absolutely nothing in it for him but he helped me, saved my life and made sure it wouldn't be put in danger the same way ever again. He's changed in the past year and I truly believe that he deserves for you to give him another chance. As for Emma, I never told her a thing about you." August replied honestly.

"If he had she might be less angry right now." Bella chuckled before she introduced herself.

"I'm the Dark One's grandson…" Henry realized before he smiled at his newly discovered grandfather.

"I… I need to step out for a minute. I need to speak with my parents and Graham. I'll be on the fire escape." Emma said, raising her hand in the hair and walking away when Neal tried to speak with her.

When she arrived in front of the window, Emma stopped dead on her tracks and took the dream-catcher in her hand.

"Emma…" Neal tried to explain.

"Save it. Who needs Tallahassee anyway?" Emma frowned, throwing the worn out dream-catcher at her ex boyfriend who caught it and looked guilty.

"Should I go and speak with her?" Henry asked.

"No, you stay here. Lilly and I will go and make sure she's okay. You stay here, introduce yourself." Bella told Henry who nodded.

After that, Bella and Lilly followed Emma outside, leaving August, Henry and Gold with Neal.

Lilly and Bella stood aside patiently while Emma talked with her parents on the phone. It just so happened that they were with Graham and Emma was able to inform the three of them at the same time about this turn of event. Bella knew that it wouldn't be easy for Emma but she also knew that her best friend wouldn't stay mad at her, she'd understand and forgive her.

"Do you think he'll come back to Storybrooke with us?" Emma finally asked them once she turned around to face them.

"That's what Gold wants, and I think Henry will want it too." Bella replied.

"He left me… He knew who I was and he just let me go to jail for him. He left me alone and because of that our son was raised by the Evil Queen! August didn't force him, he gave him a choice. Neal could have chosen to face his fears and stay with me but he didn't. He's a coward." Emma shook her head.

"But if he hadn't done this maybe you wouldn't be where you are right now." Lilly reminded Emma.

"Lilly's right. You wouldn't be engaged to Graham if Neal had taken you to Tallahassee." Bella added.

"I know. I'm just not ready to be nice to him right now. Come on, let's go back inside and see if everyone's still alive." Emma replied.

"If it makes you feel better, I think Henry is mad at him too because he hurt you in the past." Bella told her friend, making Emma and Lilly smile.

"You know what? It kind of does." Emma nodded.

.

Bella, August and Lilly stood aside, by the window, while Gold, Neal, Henry and Emma talked things out together and tried to find a solution that would please them all.

"So Bella, you really don't know who your father is?" Lilly asked her.

"No, I just know that he's a powerful wizard who loves me and that eventually someone will find him, free him and introduce us. I know that I can't find him by myself." Bella replied.

"What about your mother?" Lilly asked her.

"I know that she's evil, had magic that appears green, probably still does, and I remember her laughter. That's all."

"That's got to suck." Lilly nodded.

"What about you? You apparently know everything about Storybrooke and you said that an old man who calls himself the Apprentice told you everything about it. Do you know who your father is?"

"No, I was hoping my mother could tell me." Lilly replied.

"I never thought of asking her but, hey, maybe you can call her now if you want. Here take my phone, dial Maleficent's number and talk with your mother. I can see you're having a hard time waiting." Bella suggested, handing out her phone to Lilly, Maleficent's number pre-dialed.

"You don't mind?" Lilly asked.

"Of course not, I totally understand. You should go on the fire escape to have some privacy." Bella suggested.

"Thanks." Lilly nodded, walking to the fire escape with the phone in her hands.

"You know that Emma's not angry with you, right?" Bella asked August as they watched Neal slowly agreeing to go back to Storybrooke with them, for a couple of weeks, to spend some time with his father and with his son but insisting that he had to come back later because he had a life in New York.

"I know but it doesn't mean that I have forgiven myself." He smiled.

"And what would it take for you to forgive yourself?" She asked him.

"Maybe just some time." He smiled.

"Why don't the two of us step out for a while? We could go and get some food for everyone." Bella suggested.

"Good idea."

Bella announced that she and August were going to get some food for everyone and would be back later with enough for them all. Of course Gold stopped them and gave them his credit card, claiming that he had promised to pay for all expenses and that it would make him break his word if they didn't let him pay.

Eventually, they all decided to stay the night in New York and to leave in the morning. Henry and Gold stayed with Neal at his apartment while Emma, Lilly, Bella and August took a couple of hotel rooms for the night. In the morning, they all met up, had breakfast together in a place Neal liked and visited a couple more places Henry wanted to see before they flew back home, their arms full of souvenirs for the town and their friends.

Neal had to admit that his father appeared to have changed but he also knew better than to believe his word without waiting to see if it would stick. Plus, he had a son now and he wanted to get to know him, make it up for not being there when he grew up so he followed them back to Storybrooke, knowing that he'd have to come back to New York soon for Tamara. He hadn't even taken the time to see her before he left, he just left her a message on her answering machine, hoping she wouldn't be too angry at him when she called him back.

* * *

 **What did you think? Sorry for the wait. I had a hard time finding inspiration these past few months. Things have been hard for me because first my father, who was living with me, got really sick for a long time and taking care of me drained me of all inspiration and energy I had and then he died, and it was hard to deal with everything on my own. i'll try not to make you wait too long before the next chapter.**

 **Review please? Can you guess who Lilly will end up with?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26:**

When the group finally arrived in Storybrooke, they realized that the town had prepared a welcome home party for them all and it surprised Neal that they'd all welcome his father back and act so friendly with him. Maleficent was, of course, the first one who greeted them, eager to finally hug her daughter. Then Neal was able to witness the true love that existed between Belle and his father and to accept that the man had truly change, or at least that he was seriously trying to change, simply because someone had given him the chance to, because someone had been willing to give him a true chance.

During the party, right after her mother introduced her to the Charming's, who apologized profusely for what they had done and promised to do anything in their power to help her be happy, an old man, crossing the street, caught Lilly's eye.

"Something wrong, Lilly?" Henry asked her, having noticed that she looked distracted on his way to the other side of the room.

"That old man, he's the one who told me everything, the Apprentice. I wasn't expecting to see him here." She replied, pointing to the man who was already walking away.

He was now too far away for Henry to recognize him.

"A lot of people are here, some weren't even from the Enchanted Forest. You'll probably see him again later if you want." Henry shrugged before he excused himself and went to talk with Neal, who was having a happy conversation with Hook and Smee while Lilly went back to spend time with her mother.

Bella and August had shared a drink with Marco before joining Hook. Smee had just left and Neal was now in a corner, talking with his son.

"So, did you manage to plan everything with the school?" Bella asked him as they joined him.

"Yes, the first group will come tomorrow actually. You were right, they're trying to convince me to work at the school, even just a few hours during the week." Hook smiled back at the two of them.

"Will you do it?" August asked him.

"I think so, yes. Might as well earn some legal money if I'm going to stay around here and it will keep me busy during the day. Most of my mates have other occupations here." He replied.

"Yes, even just a few hours of work at the school will fill your day, and you'll still have some free time and the possibility to arrange your time table if you need to go on an adventure or something." Bella agreed.

"Yes, they said it would be an optionnal course, the kids would have the choice to take it or not, it would give them extra credit, whatever that means." Hook explained.

"I would have loved to have these kind of options at school." Bella chuckled.

"Me too. Maybe I would have actually gone to school instead of cutting it so often." August nodded.

"You weren't a good boy then?" Killian asked him.

"Not really. This world is full of temptations and I succumbed to many of them. Which is why I ended up turning back into wood before Bella helped me come back to a real boy, I mean man." He replied.

"I'm going to go and speak with Lilly for a moment, you two have fun." Bella said before she kissed August and joined her old friend, letting the two men get to know each other, maybe even start a friendship.

.

The next day, everything went back to normal for everyone, or as normal as things could be in their little town. Bella and August had dinner with Marco, Henry spent the entire day with his father and his grandfather, Emma was able to spend some time alone with her now fiancé and Lilly got to know her mother better.

Henry was sad to learn that his father refused to stay for longer than 2 weeks, even though he could admit that Gold had changed. Indeed, he revealed that he was engaged and that he couldn't break his fiancé's heart, that he had enough on his conscious with Emma's heartbreak and betrayal.

During the day, Bella went to spend some time with Belle at the library, she also loved to work on her books there, while August decided to get to know Captain Hook and become friends with him. After all, they had gotten along pretty well the previous night, so why not try to work on it?

Regina knew that she was at a crossroad. She could ignore Robin and keep concentrated on her desire for revenge or she could seize this opportunity to change, become a better person, make up for what she had done. She knew that she couldn't have her revenge and Robin at the same time, so she chose Robin. She decided to try and become a better person, accept her magic-less fate and try to help the people she had previously hurt. Trying to be good seemed to be working well for Captain Hook and the Dark One, so why not for her?

"Regina, are you alright?" Bella asked the now powerless woman as they faced each other at the local supermarket.

The ex queen looked lost in front of the cereals.

"I'm trying to surprise Roland, Robin's son, with cereals because I know kids love them but I don't know which one he'll like, I don't know him enough yet and I didn't take him with me because he was going hunting with his father." Regina replied.

"Well, you could try and take the same ones Henry loves, or you can take the package with all the different small boxes of different sorts. This way he gets to try several." Bella suggested.

"You're right, I'll do that, thanks." Regina smiled.

"So, how is it going with Robin?"

"Easier than I thought. He makes me want to not only stop being evil but make up for all the bad I've done. I just don't know how to do it." Regina replied.

"You could start by helping some of the people you've hurt, help them reunite and find the happy ending that you've taken away." Bella suggested kindly, always willing to give people second chances.

"You're right, I actually know just who to start with. Have a nice day Miss Swan, thank you." Regina replied before she left, in a hurry, with the box of cereals in her hand and an eager smile on her face, planning on helping Ariel find her voice again and reunite with her prince.

Even without having actual magic, she had what she needed in her vault to fix some of her mistakes and bad deeds.

.

"Blue, Mister Gold came to collect his rent. We paid him, he left quickly." One of her fairy informed her before leaving her alone in her office once more.

Since the curse broke, Gold had stopped collecting rents from everyone, everyone except the fairies. He really hated them and Blue knew that he had a right to. If he only knew the truth, then he'd hate them even harder.

She knew that Rumpelstiltskin had learned a few years ago that the Dark fairy was his mother, but he had no idea that she had killed the actual Blue Fairy a few years ago, shortly after he confronted her about abandoning him and that she had taken Blue's place. She used her collected black fairy dust to disguise herself and hide it from everyone and her plan, which was a very long term one, would work, she was sure of it. For her plan to work, she slowly corrupted the other fairies. For some of them, it worked, for the other, she used black dust and controlled them. Those who remained impervious, she'd kill before it was too late.

The fact that the fairies all had so much faith in Blue helped the Black Fairy, she corrupted and darkened their heart slowly and they had no idea it was happening, nobody did, except for Tiger Lilly but she was trapped so far away that there was no way she could find her and warned the good guys.

.

The next few days passed quickly for everyone and a lot of bonding was happening. New friendships were formed, old bonds were worked on. Neal and Gold, Neal and Henry, Lilly, Bella and Emma, Hook and Neal, Hook and August, Neal and August, Neal and Belle…

Emma had been feeling a bit off for the past few days and she finally decided to go and see the doctor. Of course it could be nothing but in a world where magic existed, she didn't want to take any risks. Her nausea could be food poisoning or stress, or a curse. Doctor Whale took a sample of her blood and promised to call her as soon as he had results. If he didn't find anything, then she'd be able to look into the potential magical reasons this was happening but he did tell her that her symptoms hinted toward a pregnancy. Emma decided to wait until she had confirmation before she told anyone about it.

On his part, Henry was enjoying having his father around and he did his best to convince him to stay a little longer and it seemed to be working.

"I'll just call her and talk to her about this." Neal promised his son before the boy left to join Belle and Bella at the Library, where he had promised to work on his homework.

Once his son was gone, Neal took his cell phone out and called Tamara, his fiancé, who agreed surprisingly quickly to join him in Storybrooke to meet his son and his father. Neal didn't question it though, to him, it was simply the sign that they were meant to be and that he was wrong to think that he had made a mistake.

Indeed, seeing Emma again had awoken old feelings in him and it had very little to do with regret and guilt. Even though he knew that graham was a good man, he couldn't help but resent him and be jealous of him, of the fact that he came home to Emma every evening and that Henry loved him like a step father already.

.

Henry had finally managed to convince Bella to go and meet the old man that he had seen dropping the book on magic on her doorstep. She didn't want to hope too much, it couldn't be her father, it would be too easy and she knew that it didn't work like that but maybe he'd be able to tell her more about him. But in the possibility that he didn't know anything, she refused to let herself hope too much.

"Are you ready to ring the doorbell?" August asked her after standing a few seconds in front fo the door.

"Not really. I think I'm afraid of what he'll tell me." She shook her head.

"We could always come back another time if you want." He offered.

"No, I need to be brave. I have to do this before something else happens and drags us all away." Bella replied before she lifted her hand and knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, an old man fitting Henry's description opened the door. As soon as he saw Bella, recognition lit his face and he smiled.

"I knew you'd come eventually, especially with the savior's son hanging around all the time, watching my house. I know he tried to be discreet but I have my ways of knowing when I'm being watched. Come on in, Bella." He said, opening the door wider.

"So Henry was right, you do know me." Bella stated as she took his invitation and entered the house.

"Know you? Child, I was there when you were born. This boy is very bright and has a big future ahead of him. He's lucky he has so many people around him to guide him on the right path." The old man nodded, inviting them to sit in his living room where a tray with hot tea and freshly baked cookies was waiting for them.

"You were expecting us." August realized.

"I was warned that you'd come this afternoon, yes." He nodded.

"By… by Him? By my father?" Bella asked in a small voice that betrayed how much she hoped.

"Yes." He nodded, looking at her kindly.

"I… I understand that you can't tell us everything, I do, but I was hoping that you'd be able to tell me something about my father. Please." Bella asked and she showed how vulnerable she was when this subject came up.

The apprentice smiled kindly at her, the way a loving uncle or godfather would. In that moment, Bella thought that he looked familiar but she couldn't place him. Where had she seen him before? Maybe in one of her dream-memory? Maybe he had visited her back when she was a child?

"I can tell you that he's always watching over you, you're never alone. He loves you, dearly. He's extremely proud of the young woman you've become and he approves of your choices, every single one of them." He replied, looking pointedly at August when he said the last part.

"I… I've seen you before, haven't I? I thought maybe my mind was simply trying to place you in my life to make me feel like my father was protecting me somehow but you were actually there, weren't you?" She asked him after a few seconds of silence.

"When?" August asked.

"After Edward, when I was in the hospital, I think." Bella replied and the apprentice smiled.

"Of course I was there. Do you honestly think that your father was going to leave you alone in such a time? I came to place protections around you in case they changed their minds and came back for you and then we… Well, let's just say that they won't be coming back for you, or anyone else, anytime soon. The fact that they're immune to your father's magic doesn't matter, we found a way, we always do." He replied.

"Thank you." Bella smiled.

"You're welcome, Bella."

"I… What are you to my father? Who are you to me?" She asked him, squeezing August's hand tight for support.

"I have been your father's faithful apprentice for the past few centuries. He took me in when I was a child, lost and abandoned by his parents. He saw potential in me and treated me like a son. I loved him and respected him deeply. I still do. With time, he changed from being my father figure to being my best friend. I guess you could consider me your Godfather." He replied.

"I… I feel like I have a thousand questions to ask you, but I know that you won't be able to answer any of them…"

"You can always try. The worst that could happen is me not answering." He smiled.

"Can you tell me anything about my mother?" She asked him, knowing that he wouldn't answer her questions about her father.

"I promised I wouldn't until I had to but I can tell you that she wasn't always bad. She was good once, then became evil because she wasn't accepted and grew jealous of others who had what she wished she had and then turned her back on evil out of love, only to be corrupted by darkness later once more. When you finally meet her again, remember that there is always hope for everyone. Sometimes, you have to look deeper into why a person's acting the way she does. Once you understand that, then you can help them change." The apprentice told her.

"I… I'll try to remember it." She nodded.

"I can also tell you that your assumptions are right. Henry is the one who'll find your father. He's the one who'll reunite the two of you."

"Good." Bella nodded with a smile as she took a sip of the tea she had been served, surprised that it was her favorite.

The three of them talked about various things for a couple more hours before Bella and August had to leave.

"Remember that you're always welcome here, Bella. I'll always help you when I can. Even if all you need is company or someone to talk to about anything, I'm here. We're family. In the mean time, there's something your father asked me to give you once you found me, kind of like a reward for investigating I guess." The apprentice declared.

"It was Henry who investigated the most." Bella smiled, taking the long box the old man was handing her.

"A wand?" She asked after opening it.

"It's a special wand. It will allow you to open portals. You'll be able to reopen portals that just closed or to open portals to any other land. If you reopen a portal that just closed, it will take the same form as before it closed but if you create your own portal, it will take the form of a door or any form you wish it to take." He informed her.

"Thank you, really." She smiled.

"You're welcome Bella."

"I… This wand, is it because he doesn't like the hat I made?" Bella asked him in a voice close to a whisper.

"Oh no! Of course, not! Sweet child, your father loves you and I did say that he's proud of everything you've done, didn't I? Your hat is great but its power is limited. You can take a limited amount of people and the same number who comes in has to come out. It only goes to land with magic, too. This wand will allow you to travel between lands without these restrictions." He told her quickly, eager to reassure her.

"Oh, good. I mean, thank you. I'll come back as soon as I can but you're welcome to visit us as well. Anytime. Maybe... Maybe even come over for dinner once? Or simply join us at Granny's?" She told him before she trusted her instinct and hugged him before she turned around.

"Go on your way now and remember that your father is always with you and that he loves you." The apprentice told her.

"I love him too. Always." Bella replied before she left with August, eager to tell Henry and Emma all about what she had just learned.

 ** _. The sorcerer's thoughts._**

 _I couldn't help but smile._

 _"_ _I love him too." She said._

 _My daughter loves me. Of course I knew it but hearing her say it made me much happier than just knowing it._

 _"_ _I love him too." I played this little moment over and over again on the mirror, loving hearing the words._

 _I was glad she had brought August with her. He's there for her and it only reinforces my confidence in him and in the fact that they'll make it. Now my main worry is Baelfire's girlfriend and the troubles she's going to bring to this town. Maybe I should ask my apprentice to warn them about her._

 ** _.End of the sorcerer's thoughts._**

.

"So I was right, it was to right old man?" Henry asked.

"Yes, apparently he was my father's apprentice and he can be considered my godfather. I actually do remember seeing him once, but I figured I imagined him because I was half comatose." Bella replied.

"When?" Emma asked her.

"After Edward. I remember him sitting close to me for a while, then placing something wet on my hand and telling me everything would be alright before he left. Nobody remembered him and it didn't make sense that anyone would come so I figured I imagined him." Bella replied.

"So he's been keeping an eye on you then?" Emma asked.

"Kind of. He told me that my father is always watching me too, that I'm never alone and that he loves me." Bella said with a bright smile.

"I'm happy for you." Emma smiled.

"We all are." Graham added.

"Me too. This is so great!" Bella nodded.

"What is weird is what he said about your mother. She was good, became evil, turned good again and something turned her evil once more. The way he said it, to try and understand how a person becomes evil to help her change, made it sound like your mother didn't turn evil on her own that last time and that it can be undone." August revealed.

"I know, I guess we'll see once we know who she is. The way he phrased it, I'll definitely meet her eventually." Bella nodded.

"So, have any of you seen Lilly today?" Emma asked.

"I saw her talking with Hook at Granny's this morning and I heard that she went to the Rabbit Hole with Ruby last night." Henry replied.

"It's good, it means she's making a place for herself in this town and that she's planning on staying." Bella smiled.

"I know that she was talking with Granny about working for her and if that doesn't work out, she'll take a job serving at the Rabbit Hole. I hope it works out well for her, I think she'd be happy in this town." Emma added.

"I'm sure it will. I have a good feeling about her. Much better than about Neal's girlfriend coming into town." Bella replied.

"You think something's up?" Emma asked her, a frown on her face.

"I have no idea but I feel like her coming here is bad for everyone and I've learned to trust my instinct." Bella shook her head.

"I guess we'll see." Graham shrugged, but, deep down, he knew that if Bella felt like something was up, then he and Emma needed to be on their guards and to be careful.

This feeling could simply be about an emotional turmoil that would shake them, but it could also be worst.

"What is it August?" Emma asked, seeing the concerned look on her friend's face.

"It might be nothing but... This Tamara... A few years ago, I met a Tamara. Back when I tracked down The Dragon and asked him if he could change me back to a real man, when I first started to turn back into wood. I admit that I didn't act nicely and stole her money to pay the Dragon and get the cure but... Her name was Tamara, she fit the description Neal made of her and he met her right after I saw him last, telling him I'd send him a postcard once the curse was broken. She saw the Dragon before I did and when I came back to buy the potion and found him dead, the picture she had left of her grandmother was gone, meaning that she had come back there before her rightful appointment the next day. I'm a liar, I know how to recognize liars and she was definitely lying when she told me about her incurable cancer, that's why I stole the money from her and not someone else. Now I might be imagining things, it could all be a coincidence..." August told them.

"But she could be the same woman." Emma nodded, never one to believe in simple coincidences.

"She could have tracked you until you met with Neal, got with him to make sure she knew when the curse was broken." Bella nodded.

"But why?" Henry asked with a frown, already feeling sorry for his father's future heartbreak.

"Who knows. But we can't afford to ignore this. We need to be careful and as soon as she arrives, August, you need to get a look and tell us if she's the same person. If it's her, then we'll interrogate her, otherwise, we'll just keep a look out." Emma decided and they all nodded, agreeing that this was the best thing to do.

"Maybe we should warn grandpa too. Dad is his son, he could help us." Henry suggested.

"Good idea, you go and do that, then meet us back here." Emma nodded and Henry eagerly ran to his grandfather's shop to talk to him, knowing that his father would be elsewhere at this time and wouldn't hear them.

.

Nova had finally decided that she didn't want to stay with the other fairies anymore. She was tired of feeling like she was being watched at all times and she wanted to be able to be with grumpy without having to hide.

"I know I wanted to stay there until we find out what Blue is planning but I'm tired of sneaking around to see the man I love." Nova explained to Snow and Emma as she met everyone at the station that morning.

"Don't worry, we understand. Love is the most important." Snow nodded.

"Do you need help telling Blue?" Bella asked, knowing that August would agree to help her too.

"No, thank you. I have everything ready. I'm a bit worried about what everyone will think and say though." Nova frowned.

"It doesn't matter what they say, what matters is that you're happy. They'll see it eventually." Emma comforted her.

"Plus, once they see that the Charming family is behind you, they'll accept your decision too." August added, making Nova and Grumpy smile.

"Are you sure that you don't care if you stop being a fairy?" Bella asked her, wanting her to be sure.

"I'm not sure I'll stop being a fairy, I doubt Blue has that power. The power to stop being a fairy is in each of us. I'll only stop if I stop believing in myself, and that's not happening, not anymore." Nova replied, reassuring them.

"We told Blue right before we came here. She wasn't happy about it and had a hard time hiding her anger behind fake disappointment but there was nothing she could do." Grumpy added.

"Well, we're all happy for you and if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to tell us." Snow replied, wanting to help her old friend for once.

The couple nodded and, holding each other's hands, they left the station to go to their new home.

.

While Nova and Grumpy were informing people of their decision, a car was driving over the town's line, following direction given by Neal. In it, a man and a woman were smiling, they were close to succeeding in their mission. Soon, he would have revenge on the people who killed his father and she'd be able to do what the home office wanted them to do: destroy all magic by getting the truest believer to the boss.

* * *

 _ **So, what did you think of this one? I'm not sure how the whole Greg and Tamara thing will play out but it will probably be quick. No more than one chapter.**_

 _ **Once again I'm sorry for the delay... This story is moving forward but very slowly...**_

 _ **A little review please? I always love to read them.**_

 _ **Lorelei Candice Black**_


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